


What Once Was Taken, Will Be Returned

by queenvictorique



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Dursleys, Angst, Beating, Blood and Violence, F/M, I angst a lot, M/M, OOC characters, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 13:31:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 43,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8210345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenvictorique/pseuds/queenvictorique
Summary: Lily and Severus are secretly married and Harry is their child. They are members of the Dark, but are in the Order, spying for the Dark Lord. The Light interferes and Harry is forcibly taken away. ***03/07/2018***In the process of editing each chapter to make the story flow more smoothly and fill in  the many holes i accidentally wrote in <3 ^^;;;;





	1. Birth

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing fanfiction in a really fucking long time lmao  
> I've been reading a TON of HP fanworks and it got me SUPER EXCITED about writing again
> 
> I'll update the tags and ratings later too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *****03/05/2018 heLLO I AM BACK AWOFJGVODKJVL 
> 
> THANK YOU ALL FOR STICKING WITH ME, I LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
> 
> gonna spend some time editing this story to make it even better!!!!! <3 <3 <3****

July 31, 1980

A pained wail echoed through a bedroom deep within the halls of Riddle Manor, an expansive castle located in the sprawling English countryside. The grounds and building itself were thickly layered with potent magic, wards and traps alike, to keep intruders out. The Manor was the home of Tom Marvolo Riddle and main base for his organization of Death Eaters. At this very moment, though, the whole castle, its residents, and the Dark Lord himself, were waiting with bated breath and excitement for the arrival of something every special.

The jittery silence was broken by another groan and hushed words of encouragement. Inside the bedroom was a woman with beautiful red hair, now stuck to her forehead with sweat, her expression scrunching in pain. Two men were on either side of the bed on which she rested, both holding her hands. To her right was a tall, pale, lanky wizard with black, straight hair that reached his shoulders. He was clutching her hand tightly, murmuring sweet things to her as her breathing got more strained and ragged. On her left side was another tall man, more muscular than the other, whose dark hair curled handsomely across his forehead. He was holding her hand more gently, but she was grasping tightly to his, her nails digging into his skin.

“S-SEV I’M GONNA K-KILL YOU!!” The woman cried, tears dripping down her cheeks.

She’s spent twelve hours or more in labor, each minute that passed brought more pain. She hated her husband, she _hated_ him for putting her through this! Why couldn’t _he_ have carried their child to save her this agony!

“Lils, shhh,” the man named “Sev” soothed her. “You’re almost there, you’ve done so well, just a little bit farther my love.”

“It hurts!” she moaned, clenching her hands, tossing her head back on the many pillows that were supporting her head and shoulders. “Harry if you don’t come out right now you’re grounded forever!!” her whine laced with exhaustion.

The other man smiled gently, his soft expression only privy to the expecting parents and one blonde, pure blood named Lucius Malfoy. He was one of the Death Eaters in his Inner Circle and there to ensure that no one else would come into the room and cause trouble. The dark, short haired wizard stroked the hair back from her forehead.

“T-thanks, Tom.” Lily whimpered, another contraction making her grit her teeth.

“Now now Lily, your little one has yet to be born, don’t punish him. When he comes you will be elated and forget you even said that anyways,” Tom chuckled and looked up at the healer he brought in to look after one of his favorites. The medi-wizard nodded with a small smile.

The fiery-haired woman was one of the strongest in his organization when it came to charms, wards, and healing. Not many were surprised when she and Severus Snape, his brilliant Potions Master revealed their engagement, then their pregnancy shortly after they were married in secret. They had fallen in love during their years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and took their vows at Riddle Manor with a small ceremony. Tom presided over their marriage and blessed them with full, long lives together.

Despite the immense hatred he received for being the most powerful and cruel wizard of the century, he was actually kind to those that followed him. He despised what he had grown to be, what his _reputation_ had become. He certainly was violent, power hungry and hell-bent on taking over the magical world. Though years of being without love, kindness, and friendship had him unconsciously becoming close to his Inner Circle…his comrades.

Another wail broke his train of thought and his red eyes found Lily’s enchanting green ones. Her chest heaved and her body shook with effort to bring her baby into the world. He also met Severus’ dark eyes that were filled with anxiety and most of all: love. Love for his wife and soon to be new-born.

Tom felt his shriveled heart warm a little. Normally he took no part in his Death Eater’s personal lives, as it didn’t concern him. When Lily had placed his hand on her belly months ago and he felt the baby move against it, he immediately changed his mind. His whole body had frozen and before he could explain he had knelt before her and put both of his hands on her to feel the baby kick. He felt the magic growing within the baby and it reached out to him. When his own magic met the baby’s, his body had become covered in gooseflesh and his heart started to pound. He stood and excused himself from her presence and fled to his chambers, his hands still tingling from their contact.

“Mrs. Evans, please push for me,” The Healer murmured, looking up at her from his place at the end of the bed. His instructions were met by a growl and narrowed green eyes.

“I’m TRYING!” Severus just shook his head, partly to hide the small smile at her response.

The Dark Lord gently detached Lily’s hand from his and placed it lightly on her swollen belly, caressing the soft skin there, his magic sought out little Harry’s.

“Little one, you are certainly giving your mum quite a lot of trouble.” He crooned, “If you come on out here you will immediately be spoiled by your parents and myself of course.”

Lucius, who had been standing quietly by the door was couldn’t help but smile a little. His Lord was so kind and to witness was a rare event, something he would always remember. Tom had been there with himself and Narcissa when his son Draco was born back in June. The Dark Lord was nothing like the papers or the Light suggested. He was violent when he needed to be, but otherwise he was focused more on politics and integrating into the Ministry of Magic using words, not spells, to change the way things were run. 

His deep thoughts were broken by a baby’s sharp cry, and everyone watched little Harry Evans being brought forth into the world. _Had my Lord’s words reached the babe_? Lucius’ eyes widened, but he put it aside to clap his congratulations for the new parents.

Lily began to cry openly as she received her swaddled bundle and Tom could see tears drip down Severus’ cheeks as well. His own eyes pricked but he wished it away, though his smile was wide.

“Congratulations, Lily, Severus!” Tom crooned, and lightly touched the baby’s chubby cheeks. “Welcome, little Harry,” Crimson eyes met green eyes that were even brighter than Lily’s and the newborn smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //another short chapter =_=;;;; i'm trying to build up Harry's childhood first i guess
> 
> *** 03/05/2018 ***  
> editing uwu

When Harry was born, he was introduced to his mum and dad, Tom, and Lucius through languid snuggling sessions. The baby had a constant smile and giggled when they cooed at him, lightly tickled, or smothered his chubby face in kisses. He was immediately adored by the witch and wizards that surrounded him, and they swore on their life to protect this child who emanated purity.

Once he was passed around, the Healer urged the Dark Lord and Lucius to leave the two new parents in peace for a while, so Lily had time to relax and sleep. Severus remained vigilant by her side and refused when the Healer suggest he get some sleep as well. The Potions Master summoned up a bassinet to put right next to the bed. Harry’s eyes were drooping with weariness as he was gently put into the small bed and yawned widely. Lily scooted to the edge of the bed and stroked his already thick head of dark hair as the baby fell asleep, a smile still gracing his face.

Lily and Severus’ eyes caught and they beamed with excitement and love. The heir to the Evans and Snape lines was finally born. And dear Merlin, they did not know it yet, but Harry would be one of the strongest wizards in the world.

Tom and Lucius left the room and made a bee-line for the Dark Lord’s office. They were stopped along the way by the rest of the Inner Circle and the lesser Death Eaters who asked about the new arrival and how Lily and Sev were doing. They spoke with everyone quietly, but didn’t reveal too much, they wanted the new parents to show off their babe when they were well rested. After that they nodded and excused themselves to Tom’s chambers. Nagini, Tom’s huge snake familiar was waiting inside.

~ _Massster, you sssmelll like a hatchlinnnng. ~_ She hissed, and if she had eyebrows they would have been raised in inquisitively.

~ _Now now my dear, do not be jealousss. Yesss, I sssmell like a baby becaussse I wass holding Lily and Ssseverusss’ new-born. ~_ Tom explained, running a hand along her scales to soothe her.

The snake thought for a moment, putting the names to faces she had seen come in and out of the Manor before nodding.

~ _Yesss, the fiery woman and the dark man. They are nice to me and gave me sssnaacksss. Now they have a hatchlinnng who might also give me ssnaaacksss. ~_

Tom shook his head with a soft smile. Lucius watched with a quirked brow before they both settled into comfortable plush armchairs with heavy sighs. The Dark Lord stretched his legs out in front of him and let out an exhilerated breath. Nagini curled up next to him and rested her large head on his lap. He immediately began to stroke her and hummed, content. Today was shaping up to be wonderful.

“That was exciting, was it not, my Lord?” The blond wizard smiled at Tom, who nodded. “Remind me never to antagonize Lily, _ever_.” He chuckled.

“That boy…Our magic connected while he was still in the womb. He will be very strong as he matures. We must nurture him.” Tom’s voice was low. He knew Harry would receive a Hogwarts’ Letter in the future and frowned slightly at the thought of the Light influence there, but didn’t mention it to the blond man.

“Perhaps Draco and Harry will make fast friends, so when they attend Hogwarts, they have someone, besides Severus of course.” Lucius murmured, as if he had read Tom’s mind. “My lord, your feelings are all over your face. You are worried about when Harry goes to school, aren’t you?”

“…You know me too well,” The red-eyed wizard sighed in resignation. Of course he could not hide from one of his most loyal followers. He read people well, and used that to his advantage, in most circumstances.

“Everything will be fine, I assure you. Harry will be protected and raised here, under your and his parent’s guidance.”

Tom inclined his head in gratitude. “Thank you, Lucius.”

The rest of the day passed surprisingly uneventful. The Dark Lord cancelled the raids for that day once he had discovered Lily would give birth. All that was left for him to do was paperwork - there was _always_ paperwork to attend to, besides performing research, and brewing potions. Lucius left him to his tasks and Apparated back to Malfoy Manor to tell his family the wonderful news.

\--

The late afternoon sunshine found Lily sleeping against Severus’ chest, the babe resting in the curve of her arms protectively. Severus had an arm around her and watched them sleep, his own eyes, while exhausted, were filled with love for his family. He burned the image into his memory as Harry’s arrival was the best thing to happen to him since their marriage.

The Potions Master stifled a yawn and let his mind wander. His head tilted and rested on Lily’s, finally succumbing to unconsciousness after casting a wand-less locking charm on the door of their chambers. They’d have to let everyone see Harry later…

\--

Several hours that felt like minutes passed, and the new parents were startled awake at the small cries of their little Harry. He was curling his tiny fingers in Lily’s long hair and her nightshirt, tugging just a little. Lily’s eyes opened and she snuggled him to her, sitting up.

“My darling, are you hungry?” she giggled, hearing his belly growl quietly. Harry smiled wide and reached up to touch her face. Lily adjusted her shirt before holding Harry to her chest to drink.

Her husband rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palm before curving an arm around her and watching their son take his first meal. His thoughts turned to how their sleep schedule was about to get destroyed for the next seven to ten years and his eye twitched. Already he could imagine the arguments, sleepless nights, and exhausted days. He suppressed a heavy sigh, because it was worth it. Harry was worth every second.

Lily _Accio’d_ a burping blanket from a drawer across the room and took to patting the baby’s back gently to get all the air out. A few hiccups later, Harry was giggling again and waving his arms at her. Severus stood and stretched, several cracks and a groan later he walked across the room to grab a large serpent plush and set it in front of his son, whose eyes went wide.

Harry immediately latched onto it with a happy squeal, flexing his fingers in the soft, silky material. Both of his parents smiled widely, but when their stomachs growled they laughed.

“Pinky!” The Potions Master summoned, and a House Elf popped quietly into the room.

“How can Pinky serve you, Master Snape?” she inquired, her big ears twitching.

“Please bring dinner to our chambers, soon.” He replied and Lily nodded. “Something warm, like soup, meat, plenty of water, and pumpkin juice, please.”

“Yes Master Snape,” with another pop, she disappeared to the kitchens.

\--

Tom had just finished up with his paperwork when he looked at the clock. _Half past six? Already?_ He thought, his stomach gurgling at the thought of dinner. He left the office and wandered through the halls and up the stairs to Severus’ and Lily’s chambers, before knocking politely.

“Come in, my Lord,” Lily opened the door for him and he strode inside, his nose immediately assaulted with the delicious smell of roast beef, mashed potatoes, and gravy. His stomach gave an embarrassingly loud grumble.

The red-haired witch sat next to Severus and patted the seat next to her, knowing the man sometimes forgot to eat. “Please, join us for dinner, Tom.”

He nodded and his gaze swept the room, looking for the newborn. Tom found him nestled in several fluffy pillows on the bed, asleep, snuggling a plush snake in his arms. A smile formed on his lips as he sat down, a plate, silverware, and goblet immediately appearing before him. The trio ate dinner quietly, talking softly as not to wake the sleeping babe.

“Thank you for sitting with us today, my Lord,” Severus murmured. “It seems your presence helped the birth go smoother. Harry also seems to be infatuated with you.”

As if understanding what his father said, Harry’s eyes cracked open, and he wiggled to look over at the table. His vision was blurry and his hearing fuzzy, but he knew who was sitting with his parents, his magic _knew._ He reached out and little sounds bubbled from his throat. He was hungry again and he wanted to be closer to his family.

The Dark Lord chuckled and rested his silverware on his empty plate and stood to swoop Harry and the snake into his arms. Immediately the baby cooed and clung to Tom’s shirt and the snake, smiling. Lily and Severus grinned at them and felt extremely grateful to their Lord and friend for providing for them and their son. Harry would have one of the strongest wizards in the world looking after him.

His future looked positively bright.


	3. Quality Time

When Harry was introduced to the rest of his followers several days after his birth, the Dark Lord had told them to protect him, even if it put their lives in danger. Everyone was enamored by the thick dark hair, bright green eyes, and agreed readily. In the past, Tom did not care about the relationships of his Death Eaters, let alone allow a baby to grow up in the Manor, so this new side of their Lord was very intriguing. They coddled the infant and in the following days brought gifts for him, sometimes bringing their own children over to play.

Several months passed and Harry Evans was still just as spoiled senseless by his parents, Tom, and the other Death Eaters. He enjoyed crawling around on the plush carpets of Riddle Manor and when he wasn’t with Lily or Severus, he was with Tom, playing with his toys on the floor in his office while the Dark Lord worked. Harry never went far out of their sight, thankfully, and Tom babysitting gave his comrades time to relax without worrying about their baby.

At the moment Tom was sitting at his desk with Harry on his lap as he wrote several documents with delicate script. The infant watched the quill scrawl across the page mesmerized, and squealed happily when Tom used wand-less magic so the quill would write on its own, here and there tickling Harry’s face with the feather. They bonded a lot like this, and thankfully Harry was a very quiet baby. He rarely cried and always had a smile on his face.

Lily came in a while after to pick up her son for his lunch, graciously thanking Tom for his time and care. He nodded and flicked his hand with a small smile, dismissing her bow.

“Any time, Lily. Spending time with Harry is a definite stress reliever.” His voice was soft as he waved at the babe before the witch quietly left the room.

\--

Lucius and Narcissa waited before they brought their son Draco, who was a month older than Harry, to the Manor. Being members of the Inner Circle, they wanted to have private time with Lily, Severus, and Harry. It was mid-afternoon when the couple Apparated into the Manor, Draco snuggled into the arms of his mum.

They greeted their comrades and walked up the stairs to Harry’s chambers, where they met the baby and his parents. Lily immediately took Draco and cuddled him, cooing sweet things at him. Severus smiled from the plush armchair in the corner, Harry sitting on his lap taking his bottle.

“I take it things are going well,” the platinum blonde wizard spoke pleasantly. “We have finally brought Draco over to meet Harry.”

The dark haired babe dropped his bottle at the sound of his name, and made grabby hands towards Lucius, who strode across the room to scoop him up, petting his soft locks.

“Hello, little one, are you behaving?” his displays of affection were limited when they were not in private, but honestly the man enjoyed spending time with his friends. Narcissa leaned into her husband’s shoulder and smiled widely. She desperately wanted Draco and Harry to become friends, so they would look after each other while they attended school and grew up together.

Draco was making happy noises from Lily’s arms, as she’d spelled a toy snake to coil and ‘dance’ above him. Harry was playing with Lucius’ hair, and making spit bubbles. Narcissa and Severus took what few moments of peace they had to chat about their kids and new tips and tricks they’ve learned about rearing. After a few minutes, Lily and Lucius put the babes down on a blanket on the floor and the two finally were able to see each other up close.

They crawled right up to each other, scrunching up their faces as if trying to concentrate as they looked at each other. Their parents watched in fascination as they gently patted themselves and made faces before they broke out into giggles. Harry reached and grabbed a toy and offered it to the blonde infant who immediately accepted the gift. With a sigh of relief, the witches and wizards conjured extra chairs and a House Elf to bring them tea. The two got along very well and appeared to be having a great time.

“Lily, Severus, I have a question for you,” Narcissa murmured, after a sip of tea. She gazed at them both, and when their eyes met hers, she continued. “How would you like to be Draco’s godparents?”

The question made the Healer and Potions Master’s jaw drop slightly before they nodded fiercely.

“Of course! We’d be delighted to!” Lily gushed before Severus could say anything, though he smiled softly. “As a matter of fact, would you and Lucius consider being Harry’s godparents as well?”

At the proposition Narcissa practically giggled with glee. “Of course! Let us meet at Gringotts soon, to write up the paperwork! This is so exciting! Then we can go shopping together!!”

Severus’ and Lucius’ eyes met and they both mouthed ‘ _women’_ before chuckling.

Tom chose that time to appear, and the babies looked up at him from their spot on the floor.  His friends stood when he entered and sat when he motioned to them.

“It’s pretty lively in here, is it not?” he smiled and bent down gracefully to sit on the floor across from Draco and Harry.

The babes looked at each other, Draco with slight worry as if sense the Dark Magic infused within Tom, but Harry was grinning from ear to ear as he crawled over to the Dark Lord and into his lap. The blonde sniffled at the loss of his new playmate but Harry made encouraging noises and waved his arms and Draco tentatively scooted closer. Before he knew it, Tom scooped him up and placed him on his lap next to his new friend, then they were both smiling again.

“Tom, you’re so good with children,” Lily laughed lightly. “I wasn’t expecting you to be.”

“What my wife means is that we are eternally grateful for your presence in Harry and Draco’s life, my Lord.” Severus interjected, rolling his eyes with a snort. Lucius and Narcissa nodded.

The Dark Lord smiled and looked down at his lapful of babies who had pulled several toys onto his lap as well. The two little ones were beginning to slow down, eyes drooping and mouths yawning. They were leaning on each other and holding hands as they fell asleep and Lily whispered a spell to snap a photo of the perfect scene to keep for later.

The adults sat quietly for a while before the women picked up their sons and put them to rest in Harry’s crib. Tom rose and the five moved to Lily and Severus’ chambers in the next room as to not wake them. There they chatted some more and set the date to go to Gringotts to register themselves as the godparents of the children. The Dark Lord nodded in approval and sipped his tea, quietly listening to the conversation. Before they realized, it was time for dinner and all of their bellies grumbled.

Tom summoned a House Elf to ask their dinner to be served as soon as possible. A few minutes later, a full meal and drinks appeared on the table they all sat around. With contented sighs they all began to eat, the mothers keeping an ear out for their babies if they woke up.

The boys did not wake until after the adults had settled in to drink their after-dinner tea. Lily prepared two bottles for them while Narcissa carried them into the larger chambers. Their fathers took them and began the evening ritual of feeding, and afterwards, burping them. Lily and Narcissa taught them well.

Tom was amused, making silly face, _yes,_ the Dark Lord was making _silly faces_ at the babies whenever they looked at him. Everyone giggled. Their Lord was slowly changing, or at least beginning to reveal how much of a caring person, how _human_ he was when it came to how he handled the children. Even in his own mind, one train of thought was how he could take over Wizarding Britain and not have to fight a war to do it, just to prevent his friends and followers from putting their lives and families in danger.

It would take years, but he hoped that through slow integration into the Ministry and other important aspects of the Wizarding community that he could finally change the way things were run, for the better. Honestly, the Light perceived him as one of the most evil men in the world, and perhaps, in the past, he was. It was still a part of him, and he would continue practicing Dark Magic to make himself stronger and live forever.

After Tom met Lily, Severus  and made closer friends with Lucius and Narcissa over the last ten years, he knew his ideology was changing. On the day that Harry was born and their magic entwined, he _knew_ he’d have to alter his path for power. He _knew_ that Harry would play a crucial role, but how, he was still unsure. The fact that The Dark Lord had planned no raids and that no violence of any kind had occurred between his organization and the Light after Harry’s birth was startling, and even more suspicious to the outside world.

Lily constantly teased him behind closed doors about being a ‘good man’. Though her tone was joking, she was completely serious. Severus, and the Malfoys agreed with her as well. Though Tom put up a nasty, evil front during Death Eater meetings, going so far as to cast a snake-like glamour upon himself that scared his followers senseless, there was no denying that a truly evil man would not be so loving for his friends or their children.

His thoughts were interrupted by Harry’s adorable hiccups and goofy smile. Tom grinned back at him.

Yes, he was a good person originally, though his upbringing and own sense of justice warped him and his hunger for power and immortality. Just being in the same room as the green-eyed infant seemed to purify and invigorate him. Tom would never side with the Light, but he knew in his heart that the future of the Dark was slowly changing as a result of a baby, no less. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another short chapter
> 
> i'm sorry for taking so long to write, but i want the first few chapters to be filled with happiness before i tear up their worlds ;'D
> 
> *** 03/18/2018***
> 
> editing uwu


	4. Happy Birthday

The rest of the year zoomed by and soon Riddle Manor was in an uproar. It was Harry Evans’ first birthday and everyone was excited and preparing one of the sitting rooms in silver and green party decorations. Lily was busily running about the kitchens, preparing snacks and most importantly, the cake: devil’s food with silver cream cheese frosting. She refused to have the House Elves help her, as it was her son’s birthday and she wanted to make everything _perfect_ for his special day.

Their fellow comrades asked what they should get for the babe, but Lily and Severus both agreed that Harry was not wanting for much and decorated a decent size jar and labelled it “Hogwarts’ Tuition”. It’s not that the couple were poor, far from it, but they did believe that knowledge was more important than material items. But for the several people who harassed them, they suggested books and other educational toys. All of the gifts and the jar were placed prettily on a large table in the sitting room.

Currently Harry was obsessing over a balloon with a snake on it. Draco was smacking at it and Harry laughed and hit it back. Severus was perched on a cushioned chair close by watching over them with an amused smile.

Tom was attending to paperwork in his office until the time of the party, which was about thirty minutes away. Honestly all he was doing was staring holes into the parchment, tapping his quill idly. What he should have been doing is writing up letters to his hopeful non-human alliances, including vampyres, werewolves, and mer-people. With an exasperated sigh, he threw his hands up in defeat. After organizing his stack of unwritten letters he left his office, heading downstairs where everyone was gathering for the party.

The doors to the room were open wide and the sound of laughter and chattering floated out, making Tom smile. _Our little Harry is turning one today, how time flies._ He thought to himself, his smile widening as he entered the room.

Everyone in the room paused what they were doing and bowed low when the Dark Lord stepped into the room. Various greetings flooded him and he nodded gracefully, letting them return to their conversations and activities. Crimson eyes searched the room for the birthday boy and found Harry sitting with Draco, playing on the floor, giggling happily.

Even across the room, Harry’s big green eyes met Tom’s, the toddler immediately waved and made grabby hand motions. Draco watched his friend with a small frown, jealous that the man took all of his attention away. He didn’t have time to pout as Tom strode across the room and scooped them both up in his arms. The babies giggled and clung to him as he twirled them around, nuzzling the soft hair at Harry’s temple.

“Happy birthday, little one,” he murmured softly. Harry beamed up at him, and Draco caught Tom’s ear lobe in one tiny hand and pulled gently. “And hello to you, Draco,” Tom chuckled.

Lily had finally finished in the kitchens and sat with Severus, breathing out a contented sigh. The food was prepared and the House Elves were going to bring it up for her, so she had some time to relax. Severus’ arm around her radiated warmth and she snuggled close, her eyes following her Lord wander about the room, her son and godson cradled in his arms.

“If something ever happened to us, do you think Tom, Luc, and Cissa would take care of Harry?” her voice was soft and she leaned into her husband. Sudden anxiety clenched at her chest and she swallowed hard.

“Yes, my flower, they would not hesitate to take him as their own. But nothing will happen to us, so please do not fret.” Severus murmured back, kissing her temple and giving her a gentle, reassuring hug.

A small frown graced his lips, thankfully hidden in her fiery hair. His thoughts buzzed around his head as he wondered why Lily was suddenly acting anxious about their son’s safety. She was not a prophet or an expert at Divination, so he guessed it was a ‘mother’s intuition’. Something…something was going to happen, and Lily could feel it, but could not explain what it was going to be or when.

“Thanks, love,” she spoke, kissing his cheek, though it did not settle the clenching in her chest.

Several sudden pops indicated that the House Elves had come with the food that she had prepared herself, and Lily forced the worried feeling away in favor of directing where the Elves put the food. Glancing around the room, she found Tom, now only holding Harry and Draco, who was back in his mum’s arms.

_Everything is going to be fine. We will be fine._ He _will be fine._  She assured herself, but couldn’t stop her teeth chewing on her bottom lip. _Harry is surrounded by people that love him and would do anything for him, nothing is going to happen to him._ Lily nodded fiercely, briefly excusing herself to take a Calming Draught.

The sun was setting, casting the room in a golden glow. Severus closed the curtains with a flick of his wand, and dimmed the lights, making some of their guests jump. He couldn’t stop the small smile that formed when he lit the candles on Harry’s birthday cake. When the lights went dark, Harry clutched to Tom’s shirt tightly, whimpering slightly. But when his eyes caught the candle light, he was enamored by the flames that reflected in his eyes.

The group of friends and family sang Harry “Happy Birthday” and when they were done, they clapped, and Severus returned the lights and blew out the candles. Tom held the boy and gently ruffled his hair.

“Happy Birthday, Harry,” he murmured before passing him to his mum, who smothered his face in kisses and held him close.

Cake, finger foods, and drinks were served, and everyone gushed that Lily was a wonderful cook, and that they’d _definitely_ have to attend more parties. At that Lily smiled as she settled with Severus and Harry on a couch by the gift table. She let her son taste the cream cheese frosting from her finger and he smiled sweetly and cooed at the taste. She and Sev weren’t the type of parents to spoil their child with sweets, but they couldn’t help but indulge him. It was his birthday after all. After the icing, he was given a bottle of warm, slightly sweeter milk, which Harry drank happily.

Tom, Lucius, and Narcissa with Draco in tow meandered over and sat near them on another couch.

“Lily, this party is perfect!” Narcissa exclaimed, at this time also feeding her son. “The decorations are lovely and the food is _divine,_ ”

“Thank you, Cissa, it means a lot. I want Harry to understand what being surrounded by love feels like. He probably doesn’t know what day it is, but I feel it is important to share it with you all.” Lily nodded gratefully. "I cannot wait to go the Gringotts tomorrow to take care of the paperwork that will make us officially godparents!"  They had decided to wait until the day after Harry's birthday, as a late gift that would ensure his safety for his whole life. 

Lucius and Tom nodded in understanding. The toddlers were the most precious beings in the Manor, and the center of the universe for their parents, godparents, and the Dark Lord, of course. Lily was not the only one whose mind had turned to the future and what was in store for them all, especially their little ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i cant decide whether or not i wanna end a heartwarming chapter with a suspenseful cliff hanger or start a whole new chapter that immediately dives into the plot lmao
> 
> i suppose the next chapter involve lots of shenanigans, and 
> 
> thank you all for reading! i super SUPER appreciate that you are taking time out of your day to read my work. it means so much, honestly. THANK YOU!!! :'D
> 
> ***03/05/2018***
> 
> maKIN MY WAY DOWNTOWN, editing <3


	5. Pursued

The rest of Harry’s birthday party went smoothly, but Lily’s chest was still seized with anxiety when she fell asleep that night, even with her husband’s arms wrapped around her. She was greatly looking forward to tomorrow, for the trip to Gringotts and shopping with the Malfoys so she tried to squash down the creeping feeling.

Lily woke to Severus bringing her a mug of tea and a plate of scones with jam. She smiled at him in thanks, before he ambled into Harry’s room, bringing the toddler back to their bed. He was still sleepy, but he made happy noises at his parents, snuggling into his father’s arms. The witch stroked his hair and ate slowly. Severus took care of feeding their son so Lily could get ready for the eventful day.

She dressed nicely in soft brown leather pants, dark brown boots, a flowing, cream colored blouse, and pulled her hair up in a loose bun. Honestly, she preferred trousers, as they were easier to run and ultimately fight in, if needed. Her reflection in the floor length mirror smiled back at her when Severus holding Harry, stepped up behind her. Her husband’s free hand caressed from her shoulder, down her back, and not-so-sneakily gave her bottom a squeeze. Lily laughed out loud and swatted at him, scooping Harry up and twirled out of Sev’s arms.

“Little one, we’re going out today!” She crooned, and Harry giggled and cooed up at her when she smooched his face.

\--

A little while later, The Malfoy family Apparated into the Manor. Tom was waiting with Lily and Severus, and was cradling Harry in his arms, making faces at the baby. Harry giggled at the Dark Lord and patted Tom's cheeks with his pudgy hands, while waiting for the adults to get ready to leave.

The two families bid their Lord a farewell as they Apparated to Diagon Alley. Witches and wizards of all shapes and sizes were bustling about the giant market, the shops looming above their heads bearing huge, colorful signs. Noise of vendors shouting their wares, families calling after each other, and officials running errands filled the air, making Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley almost overwhelming. He clung to his mum's blouse and kept careful watch on everything around him sniffling a little.

They decided before-hand that Severus and Lily would enter Gringotts Bank separately, and the Malfoy family would wait to join them after a certain amount of time had passed. This, they hoped, would decrease suspicion from any members of the Order of the Phoenix and Ministry. They would leave separately as well before the women and their babes went shopping and the men parted ways.

As Lily approached the Bank, Harry tightened his fingers in her shirt. She soothed him and promised that the rest would be there soon. They had made an appointment with the Malfoy, Snape, and Evans' Goblins, who took care of their accounts. They would be the witnesses and deliverers of the godparent contracts that could not be touched by anyone wanting to interfere with their lives.

The Goblins Ragdok, Ragnar, and Ragod, bowed to her when she entered their office. She bowed in return, speaking their greeting with a smile. Time seemed to slow down as they waited for Severus and the Malfoy family to join them. Everyone made it on time, bowed, and spoke their greetings to the Goblins before sitting beside Lily.

"Today you are here to become godparents to these babes, to be linked forever to them, to do everything in your power to protect them, and if need be raise them like your own in the event that something happens to their parents." Ragnar spoke, his beady but intelligent eyes peered through the small glasses that were settled across his nose.

"Yes sir, we are, and we will do as you say." The witches and wizards replied firmly.

Draco and Harry played with each other from their parents' laps, the adults' conversation interrupted by quiet giggles. They didn't even flinch when Ragdok came over to them and pricked their fingers to gather a few drops of their blood in separate vials. Next, he added the Malfoys' blood to Harry's vial and Lily and Severus' to Draco's. A swirl of smoke poofed from the glass vials signifying the uniting of blood was complete.

The strong magic in the air from the binding ritual prickled across the babes’ skin and they whimpered a little, sucking on the fingers that got poked by the Goblin. The adults signed the paperwork that was afterwards sealed with a stamp of their shared blood mixed with wax. Copies of the contract were immediately sent into their respective vaults.

Ragod nodded to them in approval. "It is done." 

Lucius gently put a bag full of coin in the Goblin's small hand, knowing that he could tell the amount by weight alone. Ragod nodded at him, but said nothing of the larger than needed tip also included in the velvet pouch.

"We thank you, kind sirs, for your time and patience with us. May your gold continue to flow." The witches spoke before they all bowed and left the office.

\--

Lily slowly walked out of the Bank and into the afternoon sunshine, Harry nestled in her arms. She looked about with a cool expression, not showing her suspicion as she scanned for threats. With none sighted, the red-haired witch made her way down the Alley, pausing now and then, letting Harry look into various shop windows. She knew Severus and Lucius would head back home, and she meandered until Narcissa and Draco met up with them.

They chose to shop in Knockturn Alley, so their being together wouldn’t be discovered. Though it was dingier than Diagon Alley, the shops always had interesting assortments of merchandise, for Dark and Light purposes. The witches wandered into a book shop and Lily looked for unique Potions guides for her husband. Finding nothing new to purchase for Severus, she did buy several beginner’s books for grey magic users for Harry. When he got older, she would see to it that he would be trained in both arts of Light and Dark magic, to better protect himself and those he cared about.

Narcissa broke her train of thought, with a light hand on her arm and they left the book store, ending up at a small café. Older, grizzled witches and wizards were settled in the dark corners of the shop, nursing steaming mugs of tea and coffee. Some were reading _The Daily Prophet_  and others were perusing thick tomes with yellowed pages.

They ordered their own tea and settled at a small table near the back exit. The anxiety that Lily ignored until this point began creeping around in her belly. She tried to will it away as she listened to Narcissa chat on about what baby food she started using for Draco, but her chest was slowly tightening. Lily looked down at her son, her beautiful boy, and their green eyes met. Harry’s were filled with worry, a small frown graced his face and he reached up to her. She couldn’t keep a smile from forming as she nuzzled his face.

“Do not worry, my sweet, mummy’s fine.” Lily cooed.

“What’s wrong Lily?” Cissa murmured, her own eyes turning worried. Draco had fallen asleep in her arms, and she stroked her thin fingers through his hair absently.

The red-haired witch shook her head and put on her best smile. “I’m just tired, Cissa, really. Maybe I should head home to rest, some. I’m sorry to cut our date short.”

“That just means we’ll have to plan another one!” The dark haired woman replied, though her instincts told her something was wrong since Lily was lying about what she was truly feeling. Narcissa let it slide and stood, baby Draco in tow.

“Thank you for today, Lily. It means so much to Lucius and I that you and Sev will be Draco’s godparents.”  She bent down to press a kiss to Lily’s cheek and gave Harry a peck on his. “Go home and rest, I will come by to see you soon, my darlings.”

Lily smiled for real and nodded, watching Narcissa leave the shop. She sighed softly when the other woman, now family, disappeared from the Alley, heading home to her husband. Harry yawned softly and rubbed his eyes, breaking her from her thoughts. _Time to head home ourselves,_ She thought, settling him in one arm while she took their empty teacups back to the counter before exiting the building.

The sun was just beginning to set and she frowned slightly, not realizing how much time had actually passed. She ambled back to Diagon Alley, heading for the shop that sold baby supplies and bought the soft food that Narcissa had spoken of. It was all natural, and made by hand instead of with the help of magic. Lily nodded to herself, placing several jars on the counter, along with a super soft blanket, and a new plate separated into sections that came with a matching spoon for Harry.

After paying, she walked back out into the torch-lit Alley and glanced around. There was hardly anyone wandering around at this time, leaving the cobblestone road almost suspiciously empty. Holding her bags and her son tight, she headed down the Alley, towards a more secluded area where she would Apparate back to Riddle Manor. Lily chose a random location every time in case she was pursued, so they would be less likely to keep track of her movements.

Harry’s little hands tightening in the folds of her blouse and his whimper had her stopping in her tracks. A soft clicking that she hadn’t noticed before immediately stopped and she whirled to glare down the way she had come. No one was behind her, but her gut churned. _Someone…someone is there_. Her brain and her anxiety worked furiously. _They’re gonna hurt my son, my_ baby.

Lily breathed deep when no one revealed themselves, before turning around and continuing to walk. Harry whimpered again and she focused a bit of her magic on her ears, to enhance her hearing. The tapping of footsteps proceeded behind her and she bit her lip worriedly, forcing her anxiety to transform into rage. Her grip tightened on her son and the bags she carried as she monitored the sound of her pursuer, in case they decided to run at her. She wouldn't reach out to Severus or Tom, because it would put them at a huge risk of being discovered, so she continued on, halfheartedly wishing that it was someone going home in the same direction and not an enemy tracking her. 

When she finally reached the small clearing on the outskirts of Diagon Alley, the torches that illuminated it went dark, one by one, magic'd away. Wind rustled the grass and the few trees that grew in the area, scattering leaves around her. Without turning to face her foe, she wordlessly shrunk her bags and placed them in her pocket. She shifted Harry into her left arm, and bubbled him with an invisible shield, to protect him from the inevitable fight.

The wand she always kept in a wrist holster slipped into her right hand and she gripped it tightly, the familiar handle worn by use comforting in her grasp. Lily let her fingers trace over the ridges and flat surfaces of the wood, trying to calm the furious beating of her heart. Her soft voice echoed across the clearing, though her wrathful tone was tangible. 

“Who dares to follow and threaten me and mine?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's taking me so long to write. I wanted to get into the dark parts but I also want to keep the chapters around the same length =_=;;; 
> 
> I hope you all continue to enjoy this story. It means the world to me that you all are taking time out of your day to read this. ;w;
> 
> *03/05/2018**
> 
> editing <3


	6. Taken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS GONNA BE SAD AND HAVE DESCRIPTIVE VIOLENCE/GORE, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
> 
> I nearly cried writing this.
> 
> ***03/05/2018***
> 
> time to cry again, editing <3

_“Who dares to follow and threaten me and mine?”_

Lily’s voice was soft, but the firmness behind her words made Harry shiver against her. She turned to face her opposition, who turned out to be a man in his thirties, she guessed from the faint light of the moon and stars, with short, messy, dark hair, and round glasses that perched across his nose.

The symbol of the Ministry on the breast of his robe signified that he was an Auror and she knew that his wand was held tight in his grasp under the billowing sleeves.

Lily’s green eyes narrowed in the dark, a breath hissing from between her teeth.

“Lily Evans, you are under suspicion of betraying the Order of the Phoenix and conspiring with the Dark, allying yourself with the Malfoy family and through them, the Dark Lord.” His voice was gruff, but she immediately recognized it.

“James Potter, what makes you think I’m working for the Dark? I’m on my way home after shopping, you oaf. Don’t accuse me unless you have hard evidence.”

The man frowned. “By order of the Ministry I am to take you in for questioning. I have been told to track you down, but I am not going to arrest you, Lil.”

The witch gagged a little at the use of a nickname that she hadn’t heard him use in years. As a matter of fact, she wanted to forget about him and their past. All he did while they were at Hogwarts was constantly bully Severus and endlessly bother her with his one-sided affection. Her skin crawled at the memories and she gritted her teeth.

She and Severus kept their relations completely private, even to this day, mostly to protect themselves, and now, their son. It might have been a foolish mistake to spend today with Narcissa, but she took the risk, the woman was now family. Now she’d handle the consequences of her choice. Knowing the tactics the Ministry employed during _questioning_ included the forceful use of Veritaserum which may be followed by _Obliviating_ the whole process from the person’s memory. Lily would not risk her son, her husband, her friends, or her Lord.

Lily strengthened the shield around Harry as James raised his wand towards her. To her surprise he didn’t look happy about what he was doing. She raised hers as well, knowing that the faster spell-caster would win this fight. The loser would either be stunned, hurt, or taken by force to the Ministry.

“I am innocent and I will _not_ be going with you, James.”

“You have to Lil, please come peacefully, so I don’t have to hurt you. If we fight, more suspicion will be put on you for resisting me.”

“I will not. If you leave me and my son in peace, I will not have to defend myself and likely hurt _you._ ”

“Lily,” he warned, moving into dueling stance, trying to be threatening.

“Potter,” She growled, doing the same.

Harry’s whimpers and whines did not halt his mother, only fueled her rage more. She never imagined that she’d get caught up in a duel with her son in her arms.

“ _Stupefy!”_ the stunner flew from her wand, but James threw up a hasty shield before sending a full body bind towards her with a shout, followed by another stun.

She easily cast it aside, and began to bombard the Auror with every non-lethal spell and charm she could think of, anything that would give her time to escape. The Jelly-legs Jinx made James stumble and Lily focused her magic to Apparate. When she didn’t feel the pull of magic around her navel to signify she was travelling, she growled. _Anti-Apparation jinx, huh._ _This was planned, I see. He’s not the only one here, is he?_ Her mind raced.

Lily levitated some nearby stones and transfigured them into long needles, before sending them flying off in James’ direction. They whistled through the air, but he threw his hand up and made a flicking motion, and they flew off to the side harmlessly.

Spells whizzed past the dueling witch and wizard, blocked or cast off by their shields. James must have threw up a Silencing Charm before they began because no one came rushing out of the shops or homes that were close to the field. Her nerves were fraying. She did not like or trust the man before her but she also didn't want to take his life away. He probably had a family, and she didn't want them to suffer his loss.   
  
Lily glanced down at her baby, who was clinging to her, sniffling still, but not crying. _What a good boy_ , she thought, knowing that his ability to reign in his emotions would help him in the future. Her shield shuddered under the weight of all of spells that James fired almost absentmindedly, seeming to not want to hurt her either. A _Bombarda_ crashing into her shield sent her skidding backwards a few feet, the shimmery magic surrounding her undulated with the force.

"Lily, please come with me peacefully. I won't let anyone or anything hurt you," the Auror pleaded. He looked desperate, but this game was going to come to an end, and soon. 

"I know what the Ministry will do, do not lie to yourself James. Anyone suspected of meddling with the Dark gets mentally tortured until they provide a confession or are forced into a false one. Then they are sent to Azkaban where hell takes shape on earth. You cannot fool me with your pleas and I will not go with you. This is becoming tiresome. Let us end this, _now._ " The fiery haired woman spoke, covering up her anxiety with exasperation.

She felt the magic crackling in the air, knowing that both of their shields were draining too much from their core. If they did not settle this now, they would be too weak to continue fighting. Lily vanished her shield and stepped towards her enemy. Her expression must have disturbed him because he couldn't stop a visible shudder. His Lily would never have been able to make such a scary face. _She’s definitely under the influence of You-Know-Who!_ He’d only seen one other woman with such a murderous expression and that was the homicidal maniac Bellatrix Lestrange, the Dark Lord’s right hand woman.

The minute amount of light cast deep shadows across her face and her eyes glimmered in the dimness, her white teeth gleaming as a twisted smile crept across her lips. Harry whimpered and buried his face in her shirt, his fear evident as she continued to stride towards James, much like a jungle cat hunting its prey. He attempted to hold his ground, but he couldn't look away from her glowing eyes, almost hypnotized. When she was nose to nose she pressed the tip of her wand to his throat and he froze.

"Oh James, why did you never listen to me when I tried to explain something?' She murmured, her warm breath ghosting over his lips, her voice dripping with wickedness.

The Auror swallowed hard and gripped his wand tightly. He had just a few seconds to defend himself before Lily could cast a spell. Her magic swelled and swirled around him, and he gasped for breath, the heavy weight crushing his lungs. Those lips that he loved to stare at during school parted and he shouted the first spell that came to mind that would separate them.

" _Expulso!_ " The blue curse immediately crashed into her right side, mutilating her chest and arm. She was sent backwards, stumbling awkwardly, wand dropping from her mangled hand. 

 Lily’s blood sprayed across the clearing, splattering James and Harry, coating them in steaming hot liquid. Her breath was lost and she couldn’t even scream in agony from the shock of such a violent spell. The baby began to wail loudly, his own emotions too much to bear. He was covered head to toe in his mother’s blood. He tried to wipe it off his face, only succeeding in smearing it more. His tears dripped clean tracks through the sticky fluid, but she didn’t shush him or tell him ‘it was going to be okay, mummy is fine’.

The Auror gaped when the woman somehow remained on her feet, trembling badly, still holding Harry as tightly as she could with her left arm. Blood bubbled from her mouth and she coughed, the red fluid spraying from her lips. Lily’s cough turned into a laugh, her head thrown back with the force. She had no clue that her life was going to end this way, let alone with her only son baring witness to the gruesome scene. She couldn’t even press her destroyed right arm against the ragged, gaping hole in her side that was once beautifully whole, to prevent her torn organs from spilling out.

Her laughter turned into choked sobs mixed with moans of agony. James watched in horror as the once love of his life slid to her knees, blood pumping from her wounds with every weak beat of her heart, that somehow remained intact after the explosion. He couldn’t even comprehend how she was still alive, albeit barely.

Harry wailed louder and louder, trying to get her attention. He tugged himself out of her awkward grasp and clutched her clothes, standing haphazardly in the slick grass.

“M-m-m!” He keened helplessly, that seemed to draw Lily’s darkening eyes to him. She shifted her head down, very slowly, to be level with his chubby, crying face.

“It’s o-okay, my darling boy. M-Mummy is…fine,” She coughed, more blood spilling from her mouth, spattering Harry with some fresh droplets. “I…I’m sorry that I c-couldn’t protect you, H-Harry. I f-failed you, but…I’ll a-always love you.” Her whispered words barely reached James, who still had not moved from his original position, still in shock himself.

The baby cried harder as he felt the presence of her magic fade with the last of her life force. Her once bright green eyes dulled, the last thing she saw was her little Harry reaching toward her, eyes full of fear. _I love you…Severus,_ she thought, as she finally drifted away, from her mangled body, from her screaming child, from the man who, ironically, did not want to hurt her.

“M-Mu!!” He grasped at her face with his small hands, trying to wake her from her everlasting sleep. “ _M-Mummy!!”_

The baby’s first word, screamed at his dead mother made James’ skin crawl with guilt. He hadn’t meant to injure her at all. But when she had advanced on him like something possessed, he automatically defended himself.

He slowly crawled across the wet grass, staining his robes and trousers. His brown eyes burned with unshed tears. Her baby cried and cried, but Lily would never wake up again. James crept closer, his breath catching as he cast a _Lumos_ to illuminate her body and the babe. The amount of blood spread across the area made his stomach churn and he gagged.

"H-Harry, come here,” The Auror reached for the toddler, who turned to him, his big green eyes, so like his mother’s, devouring his constricted pupils. His eyes were full of understanding, of fear, and bore into James’ brown eyes, accusing him of murder.

“B-bad!” He yowled, attempting to take a step backward and slipping in blood, landing on his bottom. Harry cried more and flailed madly to escape the large hands that scooped him up and pressed him close to the man’s chest. James cast a _Scourgify_ on the both of them, but he would never feel clean or whole again.

Before he summoned Albus Dumbledore and other Order of the Phoenix members to help clean up, he shakily reached out and reverently grasped her cold left arm, before turning it and lifting her sleeve. He gagged more forcefully as his stomach heaved when he saw a small, minimally designed Dark Mark there. 

“Dammit, Lil, we could have had it all,” James whispered into the night, clutching Harry to him even as he struggled, still wailing for his mother.

The sound of footsteps approaching the field echoed in the Alley and a clock tower chimed, the deep ringing seeming to seal Harry’s fate. A tall, bearded wizard moved to stand over them, blue eyes twinkling. He slowly raised his wand to point at the baby’s forehead.

With a small, mysterious smile, the old wizard muttered:

 “ _Obliviate.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry T_T


	7. Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nothing too crazy going on in this chapter. 
> 
> i'm so sorry about the wait and if it seems a little disjointed.
> 
> **03/05/2018**
> 
> editing >w>;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

 

While he charmed away the toddler's memories of the gruesome death of his mother, he nudged his magic deeper, curious. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore sensed an odd darkness about the boy and tried to find out the cause in his earlier memories. Unfortunately for him, he discovered nothing really of use, as the baby's memories were a blurry hodge-podge of murmurs and flashes of color. He began receding from Harry's mind when he heard a woman's whispery laugh before she spoke a name that made the old wizard tremble:

_"Tom..."_

_T_ _his child...he couldn't possibly be..._ he thought quickly, shaking his head as if to banish the idea. But the dark hair and pale skin made Albus wonder if Lily had any, ahem, intimate interactions with her Dark Lord. The boy's name was Harry, it seemed.  _Hm, a common, unassuming name for the son of a Dark Lord._ With a small frown, the wizard wiped Harry's memory completely before inserting fake ones in their place. 

He was given the last name Potter because of the man that ‘saved’ him, and his birthday remained the same, but the new memories consisted of a terrible car accident in which is mother and father died. He would have no recollection of the man named 'Tom' either. 

Chuckling to himself, Albus withdrew completely. He would use this boy as a pawn, to train and manipulate until he achieved a warrior strong enough to fight against the Dark Lord. If indeed he was the son of Voldemort, Harry would make a lovely hostage as well.

James was cleaned up by a medi-witch and was scanned for injuries as he watched the babe's mind be intruded. He shivered in revulsion and guilt. When he licked his dry lips, he gagged at the slight taste of blood, the only thing that Lily had left him after  her body was taken back to the Ministry to be incinerated. There would be no remains, no burial, everything a secret, minus the news story that an unnamed Death Eater was killed.  Her ashes would either be disposed of or kept as a trophy of a win against Voldemort. Knowing Dumbledore, the old man would probably keep it in his office at Hogwarts, hidden away.

The crew that came with him to assist Apparated away once the scene was clear, except the medi-witch, Harry, the Auror, and Headmaster.

His gut clenched at the thought and he shook off the blanket that he didn't realize was over his shoulders and approached the wizard.

"Albus, sir!" James' eyes burned with unshed tears. He wanted her back, he wanted his Lily back. The next best thing would be to keep her son. "...What is going to happen to the child now?" 

"Ah, my good lad, you did an excellent job today. Congratulations! The boy shall live a normal life with the woman's Muggle relatives. Then when he is of age, he will attend Hogwarts and then become a member of the Wizarding World." Dumbledore's blue eyes sparkled with something akin to mischievousness.

"Sir, I know her sister, she was not loving, she _hated_ Lily! A Muggle cannot raise a witch or wizard properly!" James objected, hands clenching into fists. "I killed her! The least I could do to make reparations to her spirit would be to take care of her son!"

The Headmaster's eyes darkened. "This child is now left in my care. He will be going to the Muggles to keep him out of the hands of the Dark. If my suspicions are correct and our enemy finds out, the war that we've been trying to prevent will undoubtedly burst forth. Do  _not_ try to interfere, Mr. Potter. The boy has been given your last name, but you will have no ties or future contact with him, do you understand? We have to do everything we can to keep him hidden." Albus' words were hushed but harsh, making James frown.

"Wouldn't my keeping an eye on him ensure his safety? I will raise him to be an excellent wizard!"

"Potter! Enough. You have no say. Do not keep pushing your limit on this." The old wizard growled softly. "If you do, you will be just like him." he motioned to the baby, unconscious in the arms of the medi-witch.

James' eyes narrowed, realizing the insinuation. "I have done nothing but help you, and you _threaten_ me? I destroyed the woman I have loved for over fifteen years for _you!"_ His body shook not with guilt but with rage now. The Auror pointed his wand at the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, dark eyes unwavering, boring holes into light blue ones.

He was so focused on keeping his wand arm steady that when Dumbledore stepped forward to embrace him, he froze. Albus' breath was warm against his ear.  "My dear _boy,_ do not _test_ me. You are one of my most loyal and strongest allies. It would be...unfortunate if something happened to you."

"Don't you dare!" James whispered, trying to move out of the man's arms. His rage dissolved into fear at being so close to other, knowing full well what was about to happen. Despite his struggles he couldn't stop the tip of Dumbledore's wand from pressing against his temple.

"Relax or this will be extremely difficult for you, James. Lily wouldn't want you to live the rest of your life pining or feeling guilt about her loss. She obviously chose the wrong person to be with, and this is the result. It wasn't your fault that this happened. I'm doing this so you can live a normal life." Albus whispered.

The Auror's eyes overflowed with his previously unshed tears and he stopped moving. _Why does it have to be this way? This man...is manipulative and_ evil, _using people simply for his own gain. Lily...I'm so sorry. Please forgive me._

"It's time to rest, now. You will wake and feel no pain."

"N-no!" James whimpered. _Stop stop stop stop st---_

" _Obliviate._ "

James' eyes blanked as all memories of Lily from the past and present, her son, the plot to arrest her, the murder, dissolved into nothingness. Dumbledore did not replace these memories, as Potter would not even realize he was missing anything. He had sent another Auror to clear James' house and office of anything related to Lily as well while the man was out on patrol tonight, knowing full well that this was going to be the result. The baby, on the other hand, was a total surprise, but of no worry. With one spell Albus tied up all the loose ends and would proceed with his plans.

Several days before, the toddler now known as the Boy-Who-Lived survived an attack from several mad Death Eaters as a result of a prophecy. His parents were tortured so horribly that they would never be able to leave St. Mungo's. Perhaps Albus would encourage their friendship...two pawns are better than one…  
  
They both would attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where Albus was the Headmaster, even if he had to pull strings or use force. For now though, he summoned Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, and had him take the listless Harry Potter to the Dursley residence at Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. The half giant was forced to leave the small, helpless bundle on the dark doorstep, with a letter tucked into the folds of the blanket that his mother got him right before she went into battle. There he would be taken care of by Lily's Muggle sister Petunia, her husband Vernon, and their own young son Dudley.

\--

Harry wasn’t found by the Muggles until the following morning, when Petunia opened the door to pick up the newspaper. Her shrill cry brought Vernon, a huge whale of a man, bumbling down the hallway from the kitchen, Dudley waddling in his wake.

 “W-what is it Petunia?! You’re going to scare the neighbors!” The man hissed as he came up behind her to peer over her shoulder. “What! Is! That!”

 At that moment, the pointy-featured woman had scooped up the baby in trembling arms and held him to her chest. She pulled the letter out and handed it to Vernon to read. He ripped open the envelope and his tiny, beady eyes scrutinized the document.

 “This brat belongs to your no-good sister who apparently died in a terrible car accident.” He huffed, rubbing his temples. “As much as I’d love to force it onto someone else, it is too early for this much drama. Get inside before people start wondering about things.” Vernon sighed heavily.

 The family ended up in the living room, Petunia holding the baby, Vernon practically fuming in an armchair and Dudley poking and prodding Harry’s face roughly, making the toddler whimper, then cry.

 “Shut it up!” Vernon wailed, louder than the baby, “Dudley quit that!”

 Petunia did her best to shush the child and walked to the kitchen to warm some milk for the babe. It had only been several years since her own son needed to be taken care of like this. Soon Harry was suckling away on one of Dudley’s old bottles, quiet and content. The woman let herself smile, only briefly though. Before her mind could wander to raising this child as her second son, Vernon stomped into the kitchen.

 “Breakfast, woman.” He demanded, pulling out a chair and plopping down heavily. The chair squealed in agony at the weight that threatened to crush it.

 “Bekfast Mummy!” Dudley imitated, sitting next to his father.

 Noticing the baby had fallen asleep, she quickly moved down the hall and pulled open the door to the small cupboard under the stairs. Petunia placed the sleeping bundle on top of an old blanket and shut the door quietly behind her. She hoped that it would at least keep Dudley away.

 “How does pancakes and bacon sound, my darlings?” Petunia cooed, fluttering about the kitchen as she prepared their meal.

 --

The cupboard became Harry’s bedroom. Petunia made a nest of old, scrappy blankets on the floor where she would put him to bed. The only time he was retrieved from there was for periodic feedings and nappy changes. Instead of going to the store to buy clothes for the small toddler, she used Dudley’s hand-me-downs so she wouldn’t have to spend any extra money. The baby was small, so the larger clothes hung off his body.

 Much to her and Vernon’s surprise, he did not cry much. Harry was a very quiet toddler, except when Dudley was being rough with him, but he always said he was ‘just teasing’ the babe. The family almost forgot he existed when he was in the cupboard, except Petunia who fed and cleaned him. The woman tried to keep Dudley away from the small babe, unconsciously wanting to keep Harry out of harm’s way. Her brain told her that she owed nothing to her freak of a sister, but her heart struggled to agree. The babe was helpless and she’d feel guilty the rest of her life if something terrible happened to him.

Growing up with her sister who also happened to be a witch, gave Petunia some sensitivities to magic. She could tell Harry was swathed in it, and knew that if something happened to him, one of Lily’s _friends_ might come and cause a ruckus. So she took care of him the best that she could without over-doing or over-spending on the brat. She refused to buy anything new, as what they had in the house would suffice.

 Vernon did not care about the baby at all, and couldn’t be bothered with Harry as long as his wife was taking care of it. As long as he didn’t have to dole out any money he was happy.

 Dudley bothered the baby every chance he got and made him cry before laughing at Harry’s expense. The chubby toddler was rarely, if ever punished for his behavior, so the baby was left to suffer wordlessly.

\--

From the age of one to six, Harry Potter was treated more like a pet than a child. He lived in his cupboard under the stairs, and was taught to perform a variety of menial chores and tasks around the house when he turned six—the Dursley’s way of making him repay their gracious ‘kindness’ towards him.

 If he ever did anything that wasn’t to their expectations for what a six year old could do, he was punished. Harry was either thrown back into the cupboard, not fed, or if Vernon was home and drunk after work, he was beaten with a switch. He was already small for his age due to the meager amount of food provided for him, and Dudley’s old clothes were so loose that he kept tripping over them. The child was punished most of the time, even if he did the chores correctly.

 He usually went to bed with his bottom and back of his thighs stripped red and angry from the switch. Harry did not cry after he received his first beating, which seemed to egg Vernon on more, each punishment lasting longer than the previous. He would stand, facing the wall after dropping his too large trousers and receive the switch without a word. When Vernon finished, he’d pull them up and dutifully return to his cupboard.

 When his eighth birthday rolled around, he was taught how to cook breakfast, along with other new tasks, including outside chores. Harry worked as hard as he could to satisfy the family, hoping to go at least a few days without a beating, but to no avail.

 Even when he was alone in his ‘bedroom’ he did not release any of his pent up emotions. He let them ooze out of his skin through the bloody welts, with gritted teeth.

The Dursley’s attempted to send him off to school with Dudley, but the kids there spent the days endlessly bullying him. While at school, Harry showed great intelligence and was a quick learner, but after one brutal assault from Dudley and his gang for doing better on a test than him, Harry became mute at school, and he let his grades purposefully drop for a time.

When teachers inquired about the sudden drop, and worriedly asked to speak to his parents, he immediately began to do better, as to avoid any confrontation between the teacher and the Dursley’s. He still suffered from beatings from the growing whale that was Dudley, as well as the punishments from Vernon, and verbal lashing from Petunia every day.

Because he knew of a life no better than the one he lived, little Harry endured everything without word, seemingly doomed to endless suffering.


	8. Late Childhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry TwT

Harry continued to attend school, perform his duties at home, and accept punishment without question. He did everything he was told, and more, in an attempt to appease the family that did not acknowledge him as their own, but treated him more like a slave and outsider.

When he slept, he rarely dreamed, but when he did, they were violent nightmares that catapulted him awake, soaked in sweat and shivering. He could vaguely recall a bright light and a scream, from what he assumed was the car crash that killed his mother and father years ago, or so he’d been told. Harry mopped the sweat from his body with an old t-shirt and went back to sleep.

\--

Another year passed in the same way. One day at school one of Dudley’s goons nonchalantly tripped him down a flight of stairs and Harry landed at the bottom with a crunch. The severe pain of his broken left arm made him curl into himself, clutching the appendage while the students around him gasped in horror or laughed at the bully’s antics. The small, dark-haired boy gritted his teeth and growled, the tears searing his eyes but not falling.

He stood, his broken arm falling limply to his side. When he turned to face the stairs, his burning green eyes bored holes into the soul of the boy that pushed him. His skin crawled with a slithering feeling, his anger settling heavily in his gut. The other boy couldn’t hold his stare for very long and stepped back, looking away from the scrawnier boy’s eyes. Harry took a threatening step forward before he felt a sharp pain at his temple. The slithering feeling retreated immediately and he was left with a terrible headache and the pain of his broken arm making him want to pass out.

Harry turned on his heel and shuffled towards the nurse’s office. As much as he wanted to take care of this himself, he knew he didn’t have the ability. He also knew the punishment if he made Vernon spend money on him, especially for medical care. Once he reached the dingy office, he sat and waited to be seen, his arm pulsing in pain.

The nurse took one look at his arm and immediately called Mrs. Dursley at home, to come and retrieve her nephew and take him to the hospital to have his arm set.

His gulp was audible and he had no choice but to wait for his Aunt to come get him. When she did, he was dragged out of the school, shoved into the car and they sat in angry silence the entire ride to the hospital.

Before they got out, she did ask what happened in a terse voice, as if his answer would depend on if he got treated or not.

“I tripped and fell down the stairs, ma’am.” His answer was soft, and automatic. Whenever something happened to him, it was always his fault, even if it was Dudley and his little gang.

“Impudent boy, Vernon will have your skin for this.” She hissed, and dragged him into the large brick building.

Several hours later they exited, Harry with a cast on and a very sour looking Petunia. He was definitely not looking forward to when his Uncle got home.

The resulting beating he received was the worst one yet. He was tossed back into the cupboard, bleeding from welts and so, so sore. Blissful sleep came upon him fast, and he felt his consciousness slipping away.

His dreams appeared to be memories of someone he never met. The faces of the people were blurry and the voices were muffled, but there was a fleeting sense of familiarity.

He heard his name spoken kindly and felt so much _love_. But his dream came to a crashing halt when a bright light and a scream filled his mind. This time he woke, a few tears dripping down his cheeks. Harry curled into himself and cried himself to back into a restless sleep.

\--

It has been eight years since Lily's disappearance, and all evidence pointed to her death and no one knew where Harry was either. He had disappeared from all sight, his magical signature erased.  When she did not return home that night, Severus panicked, hastily Apparating to Diagon Alley in search for the family he had seen just hours previously. He spent the whole night looking for a sign of where they might have gone or who might have caught them, but no avail. The last place he went to was a clearing surrounded by trees outside of the Alley, hoping his love would be there, admiring the stars. What greeted him was a heavy, ominous feeling that he couldn't explain, and the barest hint of blood soaked into the earth, blood that could not be erased away by magic. 

Severus had knelt in the center of the clearing, pressing his hands into the grass, digging his fingers into the soil that was still damp. The wizard knew from the ache in his heart that his wife was gone. His beautiful flower, the love and light of his life had been taken from him. His son was gone, but deep down the man hoped he was still alive somewhere, innocent in all of this mess.

He did not stay for long, but when he stood, the red dirt darkened his nails. With a crack, he departed to the solitude of his family's small estate, that would have been their new home, once he had it renovated. Alas that dream fell apart before it even came to fruition.

The Potions Master briefly returned to Tom's Manor to retrieve his family's belongings that night before settling in to the dank, uninviting estate, where he lived when Hogwarts was not in session. He still worked diligently as a spy for the Dark Lord, appearing at the Manor for meetings, and rarely, if ever, receiving guests at his own home. Students noticed a change in the man as he went from mildly nice to inhospitable as the years went by. He kept his desperation to find his son and his wife's killer hidden away, but never stopped searching when given the time.

\--

Across the country at Riddle Manor, Tom Marvolo Riddle was at his desk that was littered in blank parchment, broken quills, and ink pots. A stack of books created a small wall between himself and the door to his office.

He had Severus at Hogwarts and Lucius in the Ministry, but the Potions Master had become despondent at the loss of his wife and child. All the papers had to say was that a Death Eater died after attacking an Auror, and _nothing_ was said about a baby. 

_Lies,_ Tom hissed to himself. Nagini woke at his anger and slithered over to him, resting her large head on his lap.

~ _Masssster, we will find him, I’m ssssure of it.~_ his companion murmured, and Tom ran his fingers over her head slowly, trying to relax.

How ironic the Wizarding World would find it if they knew that the Dark Lord Voldemort was in perpetual despair about the loss of a _baby._ Eight years it’s been and he has made no headway with finding the green-eyed child. Though he had strengthened his cause by recruiting the werewolves and vampires through many, many negotiations and peace offerings. He even had members of the pack and clan searching, but to no avail.

~ _Yes, my dear,_ _we_ will.~ He hissed darkly before returning to his parchment.

\--

The bullying Harry received increased majorly after the stairs incident. Dudley and his gang using it to threaten Harry into not telling, though they knew he wouldn’t anyways, he never did. Despite his injury they spent their days knocking the smaller boy around, into walls, lockers, and to the floor, scattering his school things everywhere with raucous laughter. Because of this, Harry’s arm took even longer than usual to heal, and he was in the cast for three months.

When he finally did get it removed, summer had just begun and his 10th birthday was approaching fast, not that anyone cared. The day was not special at all in the Dursley household, and he was used to it being a normal day. Other children received gifts, love, and attention, but he received nothing, as usual. Harry never complained, not even once.

This year was no different, though Dudley thought it was cute to give him a ‘gift’ of a hard punch straight in the gut when Harry let the eggs brown slightly too much when he was cooking breakfast. The frail boy’s face never registered the hurt, but lightly rested his hand lightly across his stomach, his insides aching from the impact.

“Happy Birthday, idiot!” The fat whale cajoled, causing Petunia and Vernon to chuckle.

His list of chores grew exponentially for the day and he began immediately after breakfast. Harry cleaned the kitchen before retreating outside to mow the lawn in the steadily growing heat of the summer day. After mowing he pruned, weeded, and watered the large flowerbeds before returning inside to commence dusting and tidying of the whole house. By the time he was finished with everything on his list, he was late preparing dinner. That earned him a vicious lashing from Vernon, who had taken up alcohol for the last several years to get him through his ‘very busy and stressful job’.

Deep welts oozing, Harry fell asleep that night and his dreams were the same, fleeting feelings of immense love, then ending in a terrible scream. He woke and slept no more, clicked on the bulb hanging above his head before peering into a shard of a mirror that had broken a while back.

His skin, though pale from the start, was tanning more from his constantly being outside, and the dark circles under his eyes indicated his weariness. The black mop of hair hung into his eyes, sticking out in every direction, unable to be tamed by Petunia’s scissors. Harry’s green eyes seemed dull, lacking any sparkle of life.

He pulled his knees to his thin chest and wrapped his arms around them with a soft sigh. There seemed to be no escape from this place, which he was beginning to recognize as hell.

 _Please…someone…help me._ Unwanted tears dripped down his cheeks as he wept quietly.

The boy didn’t move for a while, before he slowly moved to turn off the light and curled into the fetal position. No reason to get beat for leaving the light on all night.

He fell asleep again, this time, thankfully no dreams invaded his consciousness.


	9. Escape?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuck it's been a long time, i'm so sorry ;3; it was a bit rushed, but i want to get Harry to Hogwart's asap so the fun can begin
> 
> also I made an edit at the end after the original posting, fyi
> 
> ***03/05/2018***
> 
> editingggggggggg <3

The sun rose bright on the morning of August 1st, 1991. Harry Potter was already awake and preparing breakfast and tea for the Dursleys before they woke up and came downstairs. He heard the creaking of the stairs as he finished putting everything on the table, and returned to the cupboard with a soft click.

Clinking of silverware and ceramic trickled through the vent in the cupboard and he sat in silence, waiting until everyone finished and left the table so he could clean the kitchen. The floors creaked loudly under the weight of his Uncle and cousin as they thumped past, drowning out Petunia’s soft steps as she followed behind them. Once Harry heard the upstair’s floor moan he knew he was free to return.

Because the Dursleys couldn’t completely starve him, Petunia left a piece of toast and an orange slice on the table for him, leftovers from breakfast. He ate the dry bread quickly, but took a moment to savor the orange, letting the sweet, crisp juice coat his tongue before finishing it. The kitchen was cleaned quickly, the boy almost having it down to a science. After a once-over, Harry turned to head back to the cupboard, but stopped when he saw a letter come through the mail slot and land on the carpet.

 _The mail doesn’t arrive until later…what is this?_ Harry wondered, creeping silently closer to the front door. He crouched and picked it up daintily, fingers caressing the brown parchment and the red wax seal on the back. His eyes widened when he read his own name, scrawled in perfect, looping script across the front. _This…can’t be mine. There must be some mistake!_ Harry’s heart began thudding in his chest as his shaky fingers reached to break the seal.

\--

Petunia returned upstairs with Vernon and her precious Diddums to help her husband get ready for work. Dudley had retreated to his bedroom, demanding a snack, even though he just ate. With a soft sigh, she headed back down the stairs, pausing halfway because Harry was kneeling on the ground, holding a… _letter._ Her eyes immediately found the red seal and her skin crawled. Lily had received that same letter when she turned…11. _Oh dear lord, the boy’s birthday was yesterday!_ She ran down the stairs and grabbed the letter from the boy’s stunned hands and shredded it while stunned green eyes watched.

“Ah, that was just junk mail, boy, no need to worry about it.” The woman sneered, tossing the remains away in the bin. “Don’t bother trying to get it back.” She tied up the bag and held it out to him. “Take it outside and come back immediately.”

“Yes ma’am,” his voice was flat as he did what he was told. She was right, it probably was just junk. He never received mail _ever._

When he returned, she gave him a list of chores to do inside, which he began immediately after Vernon stomped out the door and left for work. The tasks were easily completed, and Petunia added more and more to it. His whole body ached by the time lunch needed to be prepared, but he worked through it, before retreating to the cupboard while Petunia and her whale of a son ate.

The sound of the mail slot clicking as bills and junk were pushed in. The tall woman hurried to the door to scoop it all up, before Harry had a chance to, as he usually did. There was another letter in the pile for the boy but she hid it.

When he returned to the cupboard, she lit a match and burned the letter. There was _no way_ that she was going to get herself and her family involved with any _funny business._

As soon as the ashes curled into the trash bin, more clicking from the mail slot had her turning slowly, in fear. Even from the kitchen she recognized that they were letters for Harry. They fell, a couple at a time, and the woman put a wastebasket underneath to collect them. After a time, the flow stopped and she tied the bag and threw it out.

A few hours later more came and she nearly shrieked in anger. When they paused again she sighed heavily, taking the trash out again.

Harry was listening from his cupboard, curious, but unwilling to get hit for disobeying the rule of not leaving the cupboard unless he was told to. Time moved slowly, but eventually Vernon returned from work, and it was time to cook dinner. Petunia unlocked the door and he ventured back into the kitchen.

He was on his way back to his room when several letters poured through the slot, Petunia shooting out of her chair and running towards the door, throwing Harry to the side in attempt to block the hole as more letters stuffed themselves through, as if by _magic_.

Her shrill cry of anger brought Vernon crashing through the hall, Dudley waddling behind.

“W-what in the world is going on?!” He thundered and his little piggy eyes watched letters start _flying_ into the house from the mail slot. “WHAT IS THIS NONSENSE!!”

Petunia whimpered and pointed shakily at Harry, who was mesmerized by the sheer amount of paper building in the foyer.

Vernon grabbed him by the shoulders and shook violently. “What. Did. You. Do. Boy?” He hissed, spit spattering Harry’s face.

“I did not do anything, sir.” The young boy spoke, his voice neutral and face expressionless.

“These letters are addressed to _you!_ This is your fault!” Harry didn’t bother moving, but let Vernon shake him in his anger.

The letters increased their numbers, and suddenly the windows shattered inward, and the chimney rumbled as the envelopes began filling the foyer and living room. Petunia and Dudley screamed in fear and ran upstairs, leaving Vernon shaking Harry, both nearly drowning in the paper.

“FIX THIS RIGHT NOW BOY!”

“I cannot make it stop sir.”

Seething, Vernon backhanded him and he fell into the steadily growing pool of mail.

“PETUNIA, DUDLEY, PACK A BAG, WE’RE LEAVING RIGHT NOW!” He bellowed, grabbing Harry by the arm and basically throwing him out the front door as his Aunt and cousin ran down the stairs, dragging haphazardly packed bags behind them.

Vernon barely gave them enough time to get in the car before he roared down the driveway and down the street, leaving their house full of letters behind. They of course did not have plan on where to go or who to stay with, so they traveled several hours away, and stayed at a hotel, but the next day the letters were there, sliding through every crack.

They fled that place and went even farther into the empty countryside, but they were followed. A week and a half on the road, but Harry’s letters did not cease.

The only brief relief they had was when they ended up on a rocky island far off the coast. Their time there was spent huddling around a tiny fire and trying to ignore Dudley’s constant whining about lack of food.

Several days into their stay, the sun set and a huge storm brewed, making waves surge and crash into the tiny shack. Water dripped from every opening in the wood plank walls and leaky ceiling.

Everyone was asleep, restless, but quiet, besides Harry, who was idly staring into the struggling flames, stoking it with more damp wood. He was told to not let the fire go out, therefore he would not be sleeping this night.

Lightning blasted the room full of white light and the thunder that followed shook the island. Harry trembled slightly, curling in on himself. He never liked storms and being this close to one put his nerves on edge and anxiety curled in the pit of his stomach. _It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay._ _This’ll be alright..._

A huge crash sent him scuttling away from the small entrance, where the door had been _kicked_ in. Lightning lit the _huge_ figure in the door who stomped inside the wet and dingy shack.

Vernon and Petunia chose that time to wake, and the woman immediately screamed, waking Dudley who also began wailing at the giant man in their living room.

“W-who…Who are you!?” The fat man hissed, moving to stand in front of his wife and child.

The mysterious man had long, dark frizzy hair and a beard to match, his eyes dark, but not menacing.

“I have no concerns with ye Muggles. I have come to get one Harry Potter.” The floor creaked under the new weight of the man. He turned to Harry, who looked up at him, not in fear, but wonder.

“Hello Harry. Happy Birthday!”

“Sir, my birthday was a week and a half ago.”

“I would have come sooner, but I admit that I got lost,” the giant shrugged, smiling sheepishly at his mistake. He pulled a squished box out of his pocket, handing it to the small boy.

Inside was a cake, well, most of a cake, as icing had gotten everywhere. It read “Happy Birthday Harry”. The eleven year old felt tears prick his eyes.

“T-thank you sir.” He murmured, clutching the cake to his chest.

“Also, take this,” A large hand passed him a letter, identical to the ones that have been following the family across the entirety of England.

Petunia  keened angrily, but Vernon stopped her from moving while Harry opened the letter. Green eyes skimmed the paper and the beautiful script it was written in before looking up at the bearded man, who smiled.

“You’re a wizard Harry!”

“I’m a _what_?”


	10. Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have had migraines for like two weeks uguuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
> 
> i am alive, sort of. 
> 
> thank you all for your support, comments, and taking the time to read this fic! <3

“Yer a Wizard, ‘Arry! Oh! Bless me, I forgot to introduce myself. Rubius Hagrid, at yer service,” The huge man bowed swiftly. “I’ve come to retrieve ya, so we can get ya yer school things for when ya go to Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the best school of magic in my opinion!” He chuckled and hoisted the stunned child to his feet briskly.

Harry let himself be pulled up by the hand that could nearly wrap around him completely, brain scrambling at this new information. _Me? A W-Wizard? I’m just Harry…Magic only exists in fairytales…_

He barely registered the Dursleys’ reaction to the news. Petunia was screaming shrilly, Dudley exclaimed that that was why he was such a _freak_ , and Vernon just grew more and more purple with rage.

“We will not allow this! He is not going _anywhere,_ he needs discipline, not to be around you psychopaths!” The whale of a man hollered, putting his fists up, as if he meant to fight to keep Harry there with them. That was the only almost kind thing the man had ever said to Harry in his life.

“Albus Dumbledore is the strongest Wizard in Britain, and the world most like. Do _not_ insult him in front of me.” Hagrid growled, whipping out a tattered pink umbrella and shoving the tip in Vernon’s spittle covered face. Harry’s Uncle retreated backwards, nearly knocking Petunia over in the process, Dudley scurrying further into the corner.

Harry grabbed Hagrid’s hand. “D-Don’t hurt them,” he pleaded. “They’re my only… _family.”_  The last word was whispered softly.

The giant nodded and scooped the boy up in one arm, noting how little he weighed for a boy his age, and pointed the umbrella at the Muggles threateningly.

“We’re leavin’ now. He will be back for winter and summer break. Say goodbye now, ‘Arry.”

Green eyes peeked at the family that treated him like a slave his whole life and nodded slightly in their direction before he was carried out of the leaking shack. Thankfully the rain had stopped, and the clouds broke, letting the moonlight filter through. Silver rays illuminated Hagrid’s…motorcycle? The mechanical beast was massive and battered, but once they got seated, the heat of the still warm engine and then the thrum when Hagrid started it made Harry shiver.

He always admired the ones he saw on the street, and how confident the owners must feel, being in control of such speed and power.

Harry didn't have time to be surprised when the bike revved then lifted into…the…air. He was flying. In the sky. On a motorcycle with a giant man who basically took him away from slavery. Wind whipped his shaggy black locks around his face and he held onto the back of Hagrid’s wet trench-coat tighter. He was free, even if just for a moment, he was free from the cruelty of the Dursleys.

\--

He didn’t remember falling asleep, but the bike landing on solid ground jarred him from unconsciousness. Somehow night had passed and the emerging sun’s light nearly blinded him.

“Up you get, ‘Arry!” The giant man’s voice was gruff, but kind, as Harry let himself be taken off of the motorcycle.

His legs wobbled under his meager weight and he leaned against Hagrid’s arm for support. Harry's empty stomach took that time to growl angrily. It had been days since he was given anything to eat. Looking at the small boy with a frown, the man slowly guided him to a bustling place called The Leaky Cauldron. Hagrid ducked so he wouldn’t smack his head on the door frame, and using the protective hand on Harry’s shoulder to steer him to a vacant booth.

They were immediately waited on, the large wizard ordering the largest breakfast on the menu, as well as orange juice, tea, milk, and ice water.

Harry sat on the cushioned seat and stared idly out of the huge window, watching the people of London, was it London? With a shrug he decided it didn’t really matter and looked up at his savior. But he was immediately startled at the huge amount of fresh, steaming food that basically appeared before him while he wasn’t paying attention.

Hagrid watched him with a big, beaming smile. “Please, eat! Put some meat on those bones!”

Eggs, bacon, the largest pancakes Harry had ever seen, fruit so fresh, it seemed covered in morning dew, sausages, treacle tarts, cream, and other delicious foods adorned the table. His jaw dropped in wonder. He was never allowed to touch or eat any of the food he made until scraps were left by Petunia after the meal.

Everything smelled so good and his mouth watered, but his stomach, once interested, recoiled when he reached for a fluffy biscuit. All he ever had for breakfast his whole life was dry toast, so the round, perfectly golden _not_ toast caught his eye immediately.

His small fingers grasped the warm bread despite his stomach aching and he brought it to his nose, breathing deeply. Green eyes peeked up at Hagrid, who continued to smile, and urged him on with a nod, setting butter, jam, and sweet cream in front of him.

“I-I…this is…” _too much…_ Harry wanted to finish, but the look of caring in the man’s eyes encouraged him to test out the cream and the strawberry jam on the awaiting biscuit.

The warmth of the baked dough made the spreads melt and drip down Harry’s chin when he took his first tentative bite. Before he could stop it, tears welled up and dripped down his cheeks, startling Hagrid.

“What’s the matter ‘Arry! Does it taste bad?” He exclaimed, concerned, but sighed in relief when the child shook his head and continued to eat slowly, not caring that he cried.

The fresh biscuit with cream and jam was literally the best thing he had ever eaten in his short life and he took a long time savoring it. Harry didn’t know when he would be able to eat like this again and the thought made his stomach recoil.

He oh so slowly tried a little of everything that was laid before him on the table, unable to contain more tears at how delicious the food tasted. His new favorite drink was tea, well, tea very diluted with milk and sweetened with a bunch of sugar cubes. And out of all the food, his first biscuit would always be the best.

Once he couldn’t eat another bite, he settled with his milk tea, still sniffling.

The kind waitress cleared the table and Hagrid pulled out the letter he needed to deliver to the boy, his official letter of acceptance to Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

“This here is why I came to fetch ya. We’re going shopping and I’m gonna make sure that ya make it to school on time with everything ya need!” Hagrid spoke proudly. “Let’s get going before we waste any more daylight!” He paid for the meal and ushered Harry out of the restaurant/bar, into the busy, crowded streets, and down an alley that ended with a brick wall.

The boy didn’t even have a chance to question it before Hagrid tapped specific bricks and the wall receded, revealing an even bigger, more bustling shopping center.

“Welcome ‘Arry, to Diagon Alley.”

Witches and Wizards went to and fro, and the level of chatter and noise almost hurt Harry’s ears. His eyes could barely take in all of the activity, the sights, the smells, and the clamor. He gasped when the wall closed behind him and immediately felt the urge to run.

As they advanced through the initial throng of people, Harry’s heart began to race. Something…something was dangerous about this place, but he didn’t know what it was exactly. He was grateful that someone was with him, and continued to let Hagrid guide him through the marketplace, the shops they needed to get to were a good walk away from the entrance to the Alley.

Hagrid, noticing Harry sticking close to his side, rested a large hand on his small shoulder.

“I’m here to protect ya, ‘Arry. Don’t ya worry about a thing,”

Harry looked up at him with a shy smile, and nodded before they disappeared into the crowd.


	11. Shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chap >w>

As the wizards walked down Diagon Alley, Hagrid gave Harry plenty of time to look at everything. He could tell the boy was getting overwhelmed but intensely fascinated with all of the shops and their mysterious, magical contents. Harry shyly asked to enter the buildings he found interesting, or felt a strong pull towards and the half giant smiled and let himself be led by Harry's hand on his.

The boy was amazed at the flying broomsticks used for Quidditch and the golden Snitch that was zipping around in the window case. Green eyes followed the fast movements easily and Hagrid smiled.

"Yer father James was a great Seeker, 'Arry. I'm sure ya'll be one too." The large man beamed with pride.

Harry opened his mouth to agree immediately before his brain took a moment to process what his friend had just said. Something felt wrong about it...very wrong. He couldn't place why exactly it did not feel right and when he tried remembering his past, all he got was a sharp, stabbing pain at his temple. It hurt so much it brought him to his knees, clutching his head, gritting his teeth.

" 'Arry! What 'appened! Are ya alright?" Hagrid exclaimed worriedly, reaching out to rub the small boy's shaking shoulders.

"D-don't touch m-me!" Harry whimpered, trying to will away the pain and the tears that threatened to fall.

He had suffered this hurt before, when Dudley's goon pushed him down the stairs. He was so angry then and wanted to hurt the other boy so badly, but a stabbing pain to his head ceased his rage and left him feeling empty and in agony from his broken arm.

It took several minutes for the ache to fade into a dull throb behind his eye before Harry stood shakily, holding on to Hagrid for support.

"I'm fine, l-let's keep going." His voice was soft, but determined, a worried Hagrid in tow.

Their first stop for school was Madame Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. The shop was crowded with boys and girls of his age, and Harry waited quietly for his turn, browsing through some fabric samples draped on a round rack. They felt soft and luxurious to the boy, whose calloused hands never really touched cloth anything other than his tattered hand-me-downs and blanket, and rags for cleaning. The material slithered through his fingers and he was fascinated at how a particular one, made out of… _Scales?_   He pondered, as the hardened pieces glimmered from silver to black in the light.

“That’s Dragon hide, used to craft armor, boots, and gloves.” A voice spoke close to his ear, making Harry jump, startled by the sudden intrusion. He inwardly cursed himself for not paying more attention to his surroundings. He was in a very different world compared to Number 4 Privet Drive.

Harry turned to face the person who decided to share their knowledge and he gasped quietly. The voice belonged to a boy his age, with platinum blond hair, silver-grey eyes, and the beginnings of a presumptuous smirk on his full, pink lips. The stranger was beautiful, and properly dressed in elegant clothes, appearing more delicate than not, with perfectly pale skin, and a nose with a straight slope. The more Harry looked at him, the more the ache behind his eye became an insistent throb.

The other boy was talking to him, Harry was sure, but he couldn’t hear anything he said. He heard his heartbeat roaring in his ears and his knees gave out, his body sinking onto a nearby stool. _Why…why is this happening…I’ve never met this kid before…what’s going on…_

Soft, cool fingers touching his flushed face brought him out of his muddled haze.

“Oi, are you alright? You look like you’re going to be sick.” The blond murmured, resting his hand on Harry’s warm forehead, his own actions surprising himself. His parents would punish him if they knew he was consorting with a stranger who wore dirty rags.  

_This boy…is so familiar to me. Who is he?_

Green eyes met grey and Harry was about to respond when Hagrid, who had been ordering his school uniform robes from Madame Malkin returned to him with several bags slung over his arm. The half giant made a startled noise, which made the pretty boy jump and turn to look at him with a scowl.

“What is a half giant like you doing here?” The blond bit out with a sneer, his hand now resting on Harry’s shoulder.

The black haired boy sat motionless, as every movement made his headache worse. He hoped there wouldn’t be a confrontation between them with him stuck in the middle.

“Alright little master, it’s time to return to yer mummy and daddy,” Hagrid frowned at him and how personal he seemed with Harry. He reached out a large hand and helped Harry up, who grasped tight onto his trench coat, the other boy's retrieved hand rested on his hip. “Say goodbye now, you’ll see him at Hogwarts most likely,”

Harry couldn’t look the boy in the eye in fear that the pain would return, but he waved awkwardly as Hagrid basically pulled him out of the shop, not giving the blond time to respond.

As he watched the two disappear into the crowd, the young Draco Malfoy sulked, miffed that his new friend was so abruptly taken away. He would have to ask his father if he had ever met a dark-haired, green eyed kid in the past that would explain the familiarity he felt. With a shrug to dispel the thought, he perused the Madame Malkin’s selection of Dragon hide gloves and bought a silver-black pair with his allowance before returning to his mother’s side.

\--

Hagrid bought Harry an ice cream from the colorful Fortescue’s, and they slowly continued their shopping. They found a nicely sized trunk that folded out into a large wardrobe, followed by a small telescope, a cauldron, a brass scale, and a set of vessels to be used in potion making.

Next on Harry’s list were his textbooks, which were easily found and bought at Flourish and Blotts. The boy almost became overwhelmed at sight of all the books stuffed, stacked, and tucked inside the shop, knowing he’d definitely return there in the future. There was so much to learn about this new world and Harry wanted to know it all, he craved any and all knowledge. But for now, he settled with the required texts.

Hagrid led Harry onward, pleased to see the boy start to enjoy himself again. The last item was of utmost importance for any witch or wizard: a wand, and the half giant knew exactly where to get one.

They stepped into a dusty, old shop filled to the brim with thousands of boxes. Mr. Ollivander greeted the two of them jovially. He gazed at Harry for a long while, as if scouring him for any information that he could use to help find the boy the perfect wand.

“You will know when you touch it, which wand will be yours.” The older wandmaker spoke gently, letting Harry try several different styles, lengths, and cores.

Several times the wands rebuked him, blasting the interior of the shop to shreds.

The old man scuttled around whispering “No, not that one,” every time one backfired and Harry couldn’t help but smile a little bit.

About an hour passed of failed attempts before Ollivander held out a long, tapered piece for Harry to try. He gently grasped it and he couldn’t stop the gasp that burst from his lips. The boy’s whole body glowed and magic swirled contentedly around him.

“This wand is made from holly with a Phoenix feather core, a very unique choice, Mr. Potter. There is only one other wand with the same core as this one, and it belongs to a very dark wizard.” The old man murmured as Harry paid for it, stowing it away in his pocket for safe keeping. “Take good care of it and it will take care of you.”

With a nod, Hagrid led Harry from the shop and into the evening light.

“ ‘oops, I almost forgot! We’ve got to get you a pet!” The large man exclaimed, hustling a bit farther down the Alley to Eeylops Owl Emporium.

The stunning array of feathered fowl left Harry breathless. Owls of every size, color, and breed hooted from every available space, some resting, others flying around. He gazed around the large room, looking for the perfect new companion.

A flash of white feathers caught his eye and he tracked the beautiful, large, snowy owl to its perch near to him. Golden eyes pierced his soul and he knew that she was the one. He slowly approached and watched her with hooded green eyes and the owl seemed to acknowledge him. Harry reached out and ran a gentle hand down her back. She hooted and nipped at his fingers playfully. With a smile, he looked up at Hagrid, who nodded and went to pay for her.

“Consider her a proper belated birthday present from me, ‘Arry.” The man beamed at the small boy as he handed Harry the large cage.  He named her Hedwig, and couldn’t be happier with his new friend.

They returned to the Leaky Cauldron for dinner, and Harry, worn out from the day’s activities, fell asleep at the table. With a chuckle, Hagrid carried him upstairs to their room, and put him to bed. He was so fond of the boy already and swore that he’d do everything he could to protect him.

He woke up later that night and almost cried when he saw Hagrid sitting next to the bed, having fallen asleep watching over him. The world was slowly opening up for him with every step he took, and with kind people like Hagrid by his side, Harry felt safe, and _wanted_ for the first time in his life. With that thought in mind, he let sleep take him once more. Even the nightmares faded away in lieu of the fleeting, warm and fuzzy dreams of love.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay the first meeting with draco was kinda 'mehhh' but i want it that way, i think


	12. 9 3/4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chapter up! :D

Instead of returning him to his abusive Muggle relatives for the two weeks before the school year began, Hagrid let Harry stay at the Leaky Cauldron.

On the next trip to Diagon Alley, Hagrid took him to Gringotts Wizarding Bank, a huge building decorated with gold and run by Goblins. Harry was stunned by the smaller magical creatures, but Hagrid soon explained that they were the best at what they do—keeping money and treasures safe.

The half giant presented the key, presumably to Harry’s account, to one of the goblins, and the long mine-cart ride, similar to a roller coaster ride, brought them to a small vault. Upon opening, it held a small pile, about three feet high of gold, silver, and bronze coins. Hagrid scooped some with his large hand and dumped them into a soft leather pouch. He handed the heavy bag to Harry who marveled at how much money he currently held. Money was something he never got to touch, let alone have while at the Dursley’s, but the weight felt so satisfying in his palms.

“Meself and Dumbledore have yer key while ya are considered a minor. Once ya reach the age of 17, ya will get it.”

Harry nodded, _that makes sense. Even in the Muggle world, you can’t have a bank account at 11._

The return trip back to the main floor of the bank wasn’t as startling as the first ride, but Harry, knowing that he would be able to actually _buy_ things for himself, was completely content.

\--

They returned to Diagon Alley several times to purchase more books and other items of interest, but overall, the boy stayed quietly in the room at the Leaky Cauldron. He spent his time reading all of his textbooks thoroughly and absorbing as much information as his brain would hold. Even at the Muggle school he used to attend, he had begun to understand that the person with the most knowledge is the most powerful. The bullying he received as a result of his better grades proved that others were jealous and unhappy that he performed better than they did.

Hedwig also kept him company when Hagrid had to attend to business or return to Hogwarts. Harry let her roam freely about the room and outside, and she often sat on a perch next to his bed, watching over him as he studied.

Harry chatted with her about what he was learning and giggled when he surprised her when he practiced different spells. Magic seemed to flow naturally from his body and into his wand, and he was stunned that he didn’t remember having access to this before now. It seemed to him that if he was a wizard, he certainly should have known about it beforehand…He shrugged off the annoying thought and continued working.

\--

The days passed very quickly until it was the day of Harry’s departure for Hogwarts. Hagrid treated him to the same huge breakfast as he had when he first took him away from the Dursleys, making the boy tear up as he ate his favorite biscuit with cream and strawberry jam. He had dutifully packed his belongings the night before, as to not waste any time the day of. After breakfast, he retrieved his trunk and Hedwig, who hooted indignantly at being banged around as Harry descended the stairs.

Hagrid shrunk his trunk and put it into his pocket, and let Harry hold onto Hedwig’s cage. They travelled to King’s Cross Station and arrived at precisely10:30am. The large wizard led Harry to an archway that read Platform 9 ¾ . The boy was confused at why they were looking at a blank wall, but a whole family of boisterous red-heads chose that time to start running at and then _through_ the wall, trunks and all.

Harry’s eyes widened in surprise when the family disappeared through the solid _wall._ He looked up to Hagrid for guidance, but the man just chuckled, took him the shoulder and jogged straight toward the light colored brick. The boy winced, expecting to smack right into it, but let out a sigh of relief and astonishment when he saw a huge red train instead. It bore the school’s name and crest, and it was billowing steam, preparing to depart from the station at eleven.

The half giant returned his truck to its normal size, and passed it and Hedwig’s cage to the train attendants before resting his hands on Harry’s small shoulders.

“I’m sorry I can’t take the train with ya. But I will see ya at the Black Lake, when ya get to Hogwarts. Try to make some friends on the train ride, and don’t forget to change into yer uniform before ya arrive.” The man sounded like a nagging mum, but it made Harry feel loved and wanted.

“I will, Hagrid. Thank you for saving me, and showing me how fun Magic can be.” Harry smiled brightly up at him, feeling tears prick at his eyes. The half giant showed him so much care during the short time that they spent together, more than anyone had showed him in his entire life that he could remember anyways.

They hugged tight at the Hogwarts Express began signaling for departure. Harry clambered into the train and waved at the half-giant who tearfully waved back and yelled encouraging things after him as the train began to move. The boy brought a black, leather messenger style bag with him for the ride, it was packed full of his course books, parchment, quills, ink, and other supplies he thought useful to pass the time. He had bought it on one of his trips bag to Diagon Alley, and it came pre-spelled with a small Undetectable Extension Charm. The inside was roomy enough to hold everything he’d ever need. His trunk was similar, but expanded into a wardrobe if he wanted.

Other students were milling about in the hallway between compartments and he instantly made a beeline for the back of the huge train, hoping to seek solace in an empty seat. Hagrid told him to make friends, but he really wanted to continue studying. Mindless chatter from strangers would distract him from that.

Fortunately for the young wizard, he found an empty compartment and slid inside, closing the door behind him. This was also his first time on a train, and the fast moving scenery outside almost made him nauseous, so he closed the curtains.

Harry sat on one of the plush seats and sighed softly before he unlocked his bag and pulled out several text books to read on the journey. The ride was very smooth, and he barely noticed that the train was hurtling towards their destination of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Several hours later, the compartment doors burst open, startling Harry out of his wits. He had been practicing wand movements for a second year level spell and immediately pointed his wand at the intruder, clutching the book to his chest. The person that caused the commotion was immediately recognizable. It was the beautiful blond boy from Madame Malkin’s that he met, though this time, the boy seemed to be in bad state.

Without a word, the blond entered the compartment and close the door, locking it with a click. He sat opposite of Harry, running a hand through his mussed hair. The brunette didn’t miss the dark, purpling bruise on the other’s pale, and otherwise perfect cheek.

“Oi, are you alright?” Harry murmured, knowing full well that reaching out to the other boy might startle him.

The blond, having forgotten that someone was in the small room with him jumped, hand flying to his cheek to cover the bruise.  “Ah, y-yes! I’m perfectly fine. I’m sorry to intrude on your privacy. I just needed to, ah, get away.”

Harry reached into his satchel and rummaged around before pulling out a small tub.

“Can I sit next to you?” When he received a small nod, he unscrewed the lid and moved to sit close to the blond.  “I found this,” he motioned to the container that was filled with a clear ointment of sorts, “It’s a bruise balm. When I found it in Diagon Alley, I knew I had to get it because I get hurt all the time.”

Silvery-grey eyes blinked in confusion.

“I’m gonna put some on your cheek, okay? It won’t hurt, I’ve already used it on myself.” Surprised at this sudden want to care for this stranger, Harry dipped his fingers into the balm and very slowly raised his hand to touch the other boy’s cheek.

He rubbed the balm in very gently, and once the area was covered, he leaned back to watch it work. The coolness of the ointment against the hot bruise made the blond sigh softly. And after a few moments, his face stopped hurting and the rest of the balm evaporated, leaving his skin unmarked and perfect.

“Thank you. For healing me. My name is Draco, Draco Malfoy. We met at Madame Malkin’s but I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself.” He held out his hand for Harry to shake.

 “I’m Harry. Harry Potter.”


	13. Train Ride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY HOLIDAYS YA'LL!!!!! 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me and my story, I SUPER APPRECIATE IT!!!!!! 
> 
> Every kudo, bookmark, and comment means the world to me!!!!! <3 
> 
> Ehehe, this chapter is a bit longer than usual!

_“I’m Harry. Harry Potter.”_

With a nod, the brunette shook Draco’s hand. As soon as their skin touched, the sharp headache returned immediately, causing Harry to fall back and away from the blond, clutching the side of his head. _Why is this happening now!?_

The pain made him writhe and he stumbled over to sit across from Draco, the headache receding a little. _So distance affects it?_ Harry wondered through gritted teeth. Even looking at the blonde seemed to make his head pound and stomach roil in nausea. He didn’t want to ask the boy to leave because obviously someone hurt him out there, but he needed relief. With one hand on his temple, the other dug through his bag, searching for something to quell the ache. Finally, he retrieved a small potion vial, popped the cork, and downed it. He gagged at the taste, but was grateful when the headache seemed to withdraw completely, his muscles unclenching, relaxing back into the seat.

“Are you alright?” Draco asked, reaching out to him, but Harry shook his head and the blond pulled away, frowning. They were connected somehow, but being close caused the headaches to flare up.

“I-I’ll be fine. The headaches happen sometimes, but I bought some pain relief potions to take care of them. The bruise is completely gone, by the way.” Harry smiled weakly and returned the tub of balm and empty vial back into his bag, and decided to put his books away as well. He read them all once or twice each anyways.

The blond watched him carefully, looking at Harry’s tanned features, especially that inky black hair and those big green eyes that were wary but still sparkled. He noted that the boy was thin, borderline malnourished, it seemed, and he looked short for his age. It made him wonder where this dark-haired boy had come from, and how he was treated before he got the acceptance letter to Hogwarts.

\--

After their brief encounter at Madame Malkin’s, Draco had returned home with his mother and had immediately asked his father about a boy with black hair and green eyes. He barely caught it, but Draco noticed his father’s eyes widen minutely as he swallowed dryly. Lucius’ cool expression returned instantly, but his thoughts were tumultuous.

“Ah, he must have been a handsome young man, then.” The blond man murmured. That was the first time anyone had mentioned a boy with those features in the ten years since the murder and it had made Lucius’ knees weak. _The boy…the boy was alive this whole time!? No…there’s no way that could be…that he could be our Harry…_ The blond man kept his thoughts to himself, hoping that he’d be present the next time Draco found the boy in Diagon Alley, or when the Hogwarts Express returned for the holidays. He knew, that if the boy truly was Harry Evans, his Lord and Severus, his best friend, would _kill_ him for withholding information about his whereabouts. Lucius would confirm that he was alive and well before bringing it to their attention.

_\--_

Even though they couldn't sit next to each other because Harry didn't feel comfortable as a result of his spontaneous headaches, the boys still talked animatedly about the textbooks, spells, the school itself, and their families. They got along tremendously well, for having just met, it was almost...natural. 

"My father works in the Ministry of Magic," Draco spoke proudly. "And mother is the best in the world!"

Harry felt a twinge of sadness but immediately repressed it, asking the blond more about his life, so they wouldn't have to talk about his own. Draco continued to chatter but he recognized the signs of detachment in those green eyes. He didn't ask Harry much about his past because he knew it would be a touchy subject. Maybe once they became better friends perhaps he'd approach that sensitive topic.

For now though, he was happy to see the small boy smile, if only a little. Draco hoped that they would be sorted into the same house so they could be dorm mates and spend more time together.

The boys were so into their chatting that someone knocking on the compartment door startled them.

Harry unlocked the door and poked his head out, seeing a kind, older woman with a trolley full of sweets. Green eyes went wide at the huge variety of snacks and Draco joined him at the door. Both of their stomachs rumbled and they giggled.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" She spoke, smiling at them.

"Two of everything, please ma'am." Harry asked when he couldn't decide. Might as well try them all and share them with his new friend while he was at it! He never had anyone to share anything with until just recently so he was very excited at the thought.

She chuckled at them as she took his money and gave him two bags stuffed full with his order. The boys graciously thanked her and returned to their seats, eager to begin their snack feast. There was A LOT of food and they definitely wouldn’t be able to eat it all before the train arrived at the Hogsmeade Station. Draco answered all of Harry’s questions about the sweet treats, particularly warning him about the Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.

“You will never know which one you’ll get, so be careful!” Before Draco finished talking, Harry popped a bean into his mouth and immediately spat it back out into his hand, grimacing. He knew the flavor well. It tasted like blood and reminded him of when Dudley and his gang beat him up or when Vernon was drunk and hit him in the face.

“Ugh, that tasted like smelly socks,” The brunette fibbed, not wanting to worry the blond over something Harry considered trivial.

Draco snickered, and ate one too, thankfully he chewed and swallowed. “Candy floss,”

“Lucky,” Harry poked his tongue out before laughing too.

They continued working through a bag of the jelly beans, tallying up flavors when the Hogwarts Express eased to a halt. Surprised, they peeked out of the compartment’s window and the sun was setting low on the horizon. With a cry, they hurriedly changed into their school uniforms and black robes. Their compartment door opened automatically when they were finished and they were ushered out by the Prefects. 

The First Years were shuttled off the train and onto the platform where Hagrid was waiting. As soon as Harry saw him, he ran up and hugged the half giant tight. He chattered so fast about his first ride on the train and about Draco that he stumbled over his words. Harry was smiling so wide and his eyes had a bit more sparkle to them that Hagrid just nodded and squeezed him close. The young Malfoy watched from a distance, having forgotten that Harry was acquainted with the huge Grounds Keeper.

Once all of the kids were crowded around in front of him, Hagrid introduced himself as the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, and talked about the area surrounding the school as he led them to the Black Lake where dozens of small wooden boats waited for them.

“Two to four students per boat, no need for rowin’ ‘cause they move on their own.” Hagrid explained as the young witches and wizards boarded the boats.

Draco got in one with Harry and two other students who didn’t bother talking with them. Shrugging, the two friends talked quietly as the boats began to move slowly towards their destination.

There was a collective gasp as the huge castle loomed over the lake, windows filled with golden light, a beautiful silhouette as the moon began to rise. The boats crept quietly through the water and then under a curtain of ivy at the castle’s base. Another platform was waiting for them, and Hagrid instructed them to exit the boats carefully, lest they fall in and become friends with the Giant Squid that called the Black Lake home.

Once gathered, the First Years were greeted by an older witch, wearing formal robes and a pointed hat. She cleared her throat to get their attention.

“Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Here you will learn how to control your magic and become the best witches and wizards that you can be. My name is Minerva McGonagall. Now, form an orderly line and follow me.”

Draco and Harry looked at each other and sidled into the clumsy line. Thankfully the pain relief potion was still in effect, so when they brushed against each other, no headache bothered the boy.

Everyone shuffled into a _huge_ brightly lit room, filled with four long tables and a smaller one on the front of a raised podium where it looked like the professors took their meals. As they entered and sat at the front table, the older students who were already seated clapped, causing many First Years to smile and blush awkwardly at the attention.

The witch that led them in stepped in front of the professors’ table and stood beside a stool with a worn hat sitting on it. She held a rolled piece of parchment in her hands and once again cleared her through to silence the students.

“When I call your name, you will come up and sit on the stool. I will place the Sorting Hat onto your heads, and your House will be selected and announced. Then you will go to the specified table and sit among your new peers. Is that clear?”

A chorus of “Yes ma’ams” rang out and the witch began the alphabetical name calling. The Hat shouted out the Houses and they students clapped every time a First Year joined their table.

Harry shifted nervously in his seat but Draco seemed relaxed, as if he knew what House he was going to be sorted into.

“Slytherin, no doubt,” the blond whispered with a grin, “My family has been sorted into Slytherin for generations. It is the best House.”

The green eyed boy looked over at the green and silver decorated table and all of the stoic looking faces. The students at that table clapped, but they were more reserved than the red table that was across the room from them. Those witches and wizards were very loud and excited.  That kind of behavior would definitely hinder in his studying, but they did seem like fun people. The blue table seemed to be having a good time, but their merriment was also toned down, many of its students nose deep into a book or parchment of some sort. And the yellow table was a mixture of all three. The students eagerly welcoming the newcomers, but not as boisterous or reserved.

He heard someone hiss his name and  turned to look at Draco, who had been sorted into Slytherin, and he motioned towards Professor McGonagall who was looking at him with a small frown. Apparently she had called his name several times while he was deep in thought. Harry’s face flushed in embarrassment and he scrambled to the stool and sat, as people chuckled at his blunder.

The dark eyes of a professor widened slightly at the calling of a “Harry Potter”, and followed the small boy to the stool. _It couldn’t be…he…he was never found…I thought he was dead…_ The mop of black hair was familiar…but did the eyes match? He was unable to see from his position, but promised himself to get a better look as soon as he could. 

The Hat was dropped onto his head and it nearly covered his eyes. Swallowing dryly, Harry waited for it to scream out his House. But nothing happened and he squirmed nervously. Then, a voice spoke, but _in his mind._ It startled him, making him jump.

- _Harry Potter, eh? Your parents are very intelligent, cunning, and hold so much love for you. They have two sides to them but no one has realized it yet. You have these same traits…Hmmm…Where shall we put you? Ravenclaw, where you can be with others who love to learn? Slytherin, where cunning and ambition will form you into a powerful force? Decisions decisions…-_

Harry thought long and hard. If he went to any other House besides Slytherin, he would be separated from Draco, and he didn’t want that. He was definitely ambitious but also thirsty for knowledge.

- _Powerful, intelligent, with a dark and painful history. Very familiar to a previous student…who thrived in…-_


	14. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR'S YA'LLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
> 
> THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE KIND WORDS AND THE TIME SPENT READING MY STORY!!!!!!!!! 
> 
> ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh TwT I'm sososoosoososooo happy <3<3<3
> 
> I'm sorry for another short chapter, i hope it doesnt seem clunky, if it is im so sORRY ;w;

The Hat took a breath and shouted _“_ SLYTHERIN!”

Students at the green and silver table clapped, and Draco whistled happily.

Harry released a heavy breath of relief and scurried to the green and silver table. Draco hugged him as soon as he sat down, smiling widely. 

"This is great! I'm so happy we're in the same House! Wanna bunk with me?" The blond chattered excitedly.

"Duh," Harry giggled and blessed the effectiveness of the pain relief potion.

Between the time when Draco was sorted and when Harry arrived, the young Malfoy had discovered several childhood acquaintances that had also been sorted into Slytherin. He motioned to them individually as he introduced them.

"Harry, this is Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and Blaise. We all knew each other growing up."

The first two boys grunted in greeting, the young girl fluttered her eyes at him, apparently liking what she saw, and Blaise shook his hand. 

"Whoever is a friend of Draco's is a friend of ours." His voice was kind and his eyes sparkled with intelligence and mischief. 

Professor McGonagall finished up the name calling and retreated back to the professors' table, Hat and stool in tow. A wizard with a long beard, tiny glasses, and bright blue dress robes stood, raising his hands for the students to quiet down.

 "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster. It is tradition after the Sorting is finished for the current Headmaster to discuss the rules and restrictions that are in place.

Number one: The Forbidden Forest is, as its name sake: forbidden unless accompanied by a professor. If you decide to go in alone, there is a chance you will not return. 

Number two: the curfew is at 10 pm. All students must be in their dorms at that time or risk detentions or the taking of points by professors and Mr. Argus Filch. 

Number three is the most important. Be kind to one another and to the school itself. This school is a place of unity, we are all equal in the quest for knowledge. Do not begrudge each other for any reason, gender, orientation, blood and family heritage, or otherwise. Do not use physical or magical violence towards your peers or to any property of the school unless in a supervised situation. If caught fighting or damaging the property, removal of House points, detentions, and even expulsion will be the punishment. 

Does everyone understand?”

A range of answers from nods, "yeahs", and "yes sir"s rang out across the Dining Hall.

With a twinkle in his eye he looked towards Harry, who suddenly shuddered at a creepy feeling trickling down his spine, then his gaze swept the Hall.

"If we are all in agreement, LET THE WELCOMING FEAST COMMENCE!"

Each table was flooded with food of all kinds, making the First Years gasp at the overwhelming amount of steaming dishes that appeared before them. Older students laughed at and encouraged the young ones to eat to their heart's content.

Harry couldn’t even see half of the food displayed across the huge table, but decided to take it easy. Even after trying to eat more, his stomach wasn’t able to hold much, due to his time at the Dursleys being starved. He chose a small, well done steak, some mashed potatoes, and a spoonful of steamed carrots with a sprinkle of brown sugar. After sipping the pumpkin juice in his goblet, it changed to his favorite milk tea with plenty of sugar. He smiled slightly and began his meal, eating slowly.

Draco and his friends were chatting quietly as they dug into their plates, and Harry took that time to discreetly take another pain relief potion. It seemed it was effective for about six to eight hours at a time, for which he was extremely grateful. A pair of dark eyes and another of light blue watched his movements, one out of curiosity and the other concern. Both wanted to investigate Harry Potter's potion drinking further, but tonight wasn't the ideal time to confront a First Year who was already overwhelmed. They pushed the thought into the back of their minds...for now. 

The feast passed surprisingly fast, and the students were corralled and led off to their separate House locations, Prefects leading the way and explaining their inter-House rules, as well as how to navigate and get inside of the Common Room. Their entry into the rooms were allowed by the word “pure blood”, and Harry rolled his eyes at the password. The Slytherins headed into dungeons, and much to his surprise, Harry discovered that the interior of their House was very comfortable, not at all like a dungeon from the fairy tales he used to read.

In the Common Room, dark green, plush couches surrounded a blazing fireplace. The carpets were warm and thick, and covered most of the smooth stone floors. Their House crest adorned part of the wall, a beautiful silver serpent against an emerald green background, and bookshelves lined the rest. Reading nooks were fit snugly between the shelves, lit with torches. The dormitories were also very cozy and incredibly spacious, with soft blankets and sheets, the mattresses were the most comfortable Harry had the delight of using.

Each bed had a nightstand made of dark wood and a candle lamp, and a desk on the opposite side. There was room under their beds and at the foot of it where their trunks were already placed. Most conveniently, Harry and Draco were placed next to each other, and they grinned when they saw their things already there.

A door leading from the First Year boy’s bedroom lead off to an incredible bathroom. There were several claw-footed bathtubs and at least ten shower stalls, screened for privacy with green shower curtains. At the center of the bathroom was a large column surrounded by sinks and ornately framed mirrors. The space between the two housed a small shelf for toiletries, and towel racks were placed between and inside the shower stalls. Fluffy gray towels were stacked neatly, waiting for use.

After the tour, the Prefects left the First Years to do as they pleased. The first thing Harry did was flop not-so-gracefully onto his bed. The mattress easily accepted his weight and he sunk into it with a dreamy sigh. He peeked into his nightstand drawer and found his favorite books and the journal he took notes in, as well as a quill and ink. _Hogwarts is a intuitive castle…_ He smiled and patted the sheets gratefully.

Draco and his newly acquainted friends left him alone to rest, in favor of relaxing in the Common Room together. The green-eyed boy let his body relax into bed, his eyes fluttering closed. He felt his heartbeat slow down as sleep descended upon him. His skin prickled with goose flesh and behind his heartbeat he could hear a low humming. It thrummed quietly and seemed to stroke across his skin, warm and comforting. Harry wondered if other students felt it too, but enjoyed the notion that he was the only one that felt so connected to the castle’s magic.

He finally let himself feel safe, because this place...is home.


	15. Bath & Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eeeeeeeeeeeeaAAAAAAH
> 
> thanks for sticking with me!!!!!! and for all the time spent reading, commenting, and kudos given!!! 
> 
> ya'lls comments gIVE ME LIFEEEEE, for real tho, they really do
> 
> hope everyone had a good christmas and new year!!!! 
> 
> this chap is short and fluffy >w>
> 
> i hope ya'll enjoy <3

Harry woke to someone gently shaking his shoulder. He startled into wakefulness, his instincts putting him on the defensive. The pale hand belonged to Draco and before Harry could speak, a sharp pain exploded from behind his eye, causing him to recoil. The blond stepped away immediately, grey eyes scanning for the robes Harry wore the night before. When he found it, he dug around in the pockets, praying to find what he was looking for.

He watched as the brunette squirmed in discomfort, his hands clutching the aching side of his head. Instead of moving closer, Draco carefully tossed the small vial onto the bed beside the boy.

“Harry, the potion is right next to you, please drink it,”

“You’re the best, Draco, t-thanks,” He grabbed the potion, popped the cork, and swallowed it down. The look of relief on his face was evident within a few seconds as the headache receded.

He tentatively reached out a hand to the blond, who grabbed it firmly and pulled him to his feet.

“Let’s get a bath before breakfast, it’s still early.” Draco murmured, scooping up his uniform from where he tossed it on the side of Harry’s bed.

The boy nodded and shuffled over to his wardrobe, retrieving his own clothes, before setting off with the blond to the bathrooms. Since it was early, only a few of his Housemates were inside the luxurious bathroom. He and Draco got shower stalls next to each other, noting that their toiletries appeared on the shelf of their own accord. With a smile, Harry turned the water on and sighed softly in appreciation that it was just the right temperature—almost scalding hot.

He let his boy relax into the steady spray, letting the warmth seep into his tired body before he washed himself languidly. Harry was never able to take anything more than a five minute shower in freezing water every two to three days at the Dursley’s, so the thought of bathing whenever he wanted was a blissful. After rinsing, he sat under the water and closed his eyes. He let his breath in and out slowly and deeply, and was meditating when Draco pulled back the shower curtain, the steam billowing from behind it making him step back.

“Are you okay Harry? This water is almost boiling!”

“Yes, I use it to help cleanse my body and mind.” Green eyes fluttered open and focused on him with a small smile. He turned off the water and took the towel that Draco provided.

The blond nodded, understanding what he meant. He took a towel to his own hair, after he fully got dressed, and slicked it back with some pomade before he brushed his teeth.

Harry followed suit, allowing Draco to fix his tie and shirt cuffs. He looked into the mirror at his mussed hair and sighed. Suddenly there were two hands in his hair which surprised him, but he noticed Draco in the reflection.  Pale fingers slick with hair product slowly tamed the black nest into a more refined look. By the time he was done, Harry’s hair framed his face without getting into his eyes, and it looked purposefully messy instead of _actually_ messy. The blond even put a few cute pins in to hold back some of the larger pieces away from his face.

“Heh, you’re pretty cute under all that hair,” Draco smiled, giggling quietly when Harry made a face at him in the mirror.

The boys were just finishing up when their friends walked in, yawning. Crabbe and Goyle didn’t even seem awake yet as they stumbled into everything on their way to the showers. Pansy immediately flittered around Harry, remarking how good he looked before Draco shooed her away. Their more reserved Housemate Blaise appeared behind the rest, smiling at them before heading to his own stall as well.

They left the bathroom in favor of gathering their supplies for class. Harry’s messenger bag held everything he needed and more without weighing him down, and Draco pouted at how heavy his own bag was. _I know what to get him for Christmas, then,_ Harry thought as the blond led him out of the dorm, through the Common Room and out into the hallway. At the thought of breakfast, Harry’s stomach rumbled.

Surprisingly they were still a tad early, as only a handful of students were gathered in the Great Hall. The boys sat next to each other and plates and goblets appeared before them, their drinks of choice filling the goblets. Harry would never get over how magical Hogwarts was, _ever._  He almost teared up when his favorite breakfast appeared on his plate: a steaming, flaky biscuit with strawberry preserves and thick cream. He picked it up reverently and inhaled the sweet smell before taking a bite. 

Draco’s eyebrow raised inquisitively, but he shrugged and gathered his own meal while Harry ate his own weird treat happily.

Their friends greeted them, looking fresh after their showers. Draco and Harry discussed their first class which would be History of Magic. The blond groaned. As a pureblood, he was taught from a very early age about that subject, and the idea of attending yet another class on it sounded so _boring._ But Harry seemed excited that Draco couldn’t help but smile. He took Harry to the classroom early, as it took some time to navigate the enchanted staircases and find the classroom. It was the first class of the day, so they took seats near the front and pulled out their materials.

Soon after they arrived, a gaggle of red and gold clad Gryffindors entered, and took seats opposite from them across the classroom. They were avidly chatting about something or another and Draco rolled his eyes. One boy had shocking red hair. _Must be a Weasley,_ the blond thought. There was a girl with them, with lovely dark skin, her thick hair pulled back in a neat bun. She was frowning at the red-head, who laughed at the apparent joke he just spouted off.  The last boy appeared to be shy, with dark hair and dark blue eyes. His posture was slumped, as if afraid something was going to hit him.

“Neville, man, you shouldn’t be so timid! You’re the Boy-Who-Lived!” the red-head clamored excitedly, drawing Draco’s and Harry’s attention.

“R-Ron, keep it down, I’m already embarrassed enough without extra attention!” the brunette hissed, cheeks flushing. “Besides, I didn’t do anything to earn that title!”

“You-Know-Who went after you and you lived! That’s enough to earn it!”

“ _Ronald Weasley,_ can you not see how uncomfortable you are making him?” The girl snarled, resting a soothing hand on Neville’s arm. “Don’t worry Neville, I do not think that a title makes a person special. I like you for who you are, underneath that pesky name. You survived to do great things in the Wizarding World.” Her smile was bright and Neville couldn’t help but smile back at her, feeling a bit relieved. 

The red-head, on the other-hand just puffed up after the girl berated him. He muttered an apology and shuffled his feet on the floor, pouting.

Draco inwardly snickered at their altercation but when he looked at Harry, who was frowning in their direction, he touched his arm, concerned.

“What’s wrong, Harry? Do you know them?”

“Harry shook his head and turned to look at his blond friend. "No, I don’t. But who is this “You-Know-Who” person?”

“ _What?”_ Draco was shocked. “You’re a _wizard_ and you’ve never heard of _him_?!”


	16. First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
> 
> thank you all for your support!!!!!! ya'll are sO NICE TO ME Q///w///Q
> 
> i hope you enjoy this chapter, though it might seem a bit boring!! 
> 
> *HUGS AND KISSES* <3

_“What?” Draco was shocked. “You’re a wizard and you’ve never heard of him?!”_

The blonde’s voice was a whisper, not wanting to attract any unneeded attention from the Gryffindorks.

“He is a dark and very powerful wizard, one of the strongest within the last century. His power ranks up with Dumbledore. He is the one that attacked that nervous twit’s family for some reason or another,” Draco gestured over to where Neville was sitting. “But he was ‘defeated’ by him before he could kill Neville and no one has seen him for about 10 years. But something…something is stirring. There are rumors, Harry. That he is coming back.” Draco looked pensive. 

Harry felt a shiver wiggle down his spine. _A dark and powerful wizard…potentially stronger than Dumbledore? Impressive._ He was about ask Draco to get into the details when the classroom door opened with a bang. It was almost time for class to start.

Other students filed in, some dragging their feet against the stone floor, chatting idly among themselves. Harry glanced around the room at the semi familiar faces and committed them to memory. These kids would be his family from now on, at least, he hoped the other Slytherins would be.  

Draco watched his friend, thankful to have him by his side. The brunette had moved to thumb through his textbook that had passages covered in glowing neon pink and yellow ink, and notes in the margins. It was fascinating to look at, really. 

"Harry, what's that glowing stuff on the page? What spell did you use?" The blonde murmured, running a finger over it then checking to see if it rubbed off.

"It's a highlighter, ah, a muggle invention to help people remember important things, especially in school. I got one for you too." Harry smiled and dug around in his bag. 

The one he pulled out was green and Draco accepted it with thanks, and ran it along a sentence. The ink flowed out smoothly and his eyes got wide. His family hated Muggles and Muggleborns but the boy was very curious about the things they managed to create. 

"It's like a quill, but the ink is inside and will run out eventually. But, lucky for us, I used a spell that will constantly keep it full." 

Draco clutched the highlighter, the first gift he received from someone other than his family. It was a simple, cheap thing, but it was immediately a treasure.

Professor Binns took that time to enter the classroom, not through the door, but _through_ the door. He was a ghost after all. Apparently he had died from old age in his sleep many years back, but still chose to teach. Harry was impressed that a ghost was able to be employed at all, let alone teach.

He drifted past Harry who shivered at the cold aura that surrounded the ghost. The professor slowly introduced himself and had the students do the same. Harry also put the names to the faces he memorized earlier. 

When it was Neville's turn, he got up and looked around the room shyly.

"A-ah, I'm Neville Longbottom from Gryffindor. I really love Herbology. Nice to meet you all." He sat down fast, face flushed with embarrassment.

"What a minute, you're the Boy-Who-Lived aren't you!" Asked a boy named Seamus excitedly. 

Before Neville could respond, Hermione turned to her fellow Housemate, with a scowl, eyes shining. Her expression begging the boy to speak so she could hex him into the next dimension. 

The loud boy gulped and shied away, knowing he'd get an earful later. He must have missed when Professor McGonagall explained specifically to not call out Neville or cause him any undo trouble about his 'status'.

The Gryffindors knew better than to chat in public about him, but that certainly did not stop the Slytherins, the House they seemed to have every class with this semester. The kids giggled, pointed, and made faces at the poor boy, before the professor cleared his throat. Everyone turned to face the chalkboard, and the ghost that hovered behind his desk. While everyone was distracted, Professor Binns had taken the time to write page numbers on the board, along with their first homework assignment. An indignant whine traveled through the classroom and Binns added another assignment. The young witches and wizards quieted down immediately and scrambled for their textbooks.

The hour and a half class continued very slowly after that, but Harry spent the time taking immaculate notes, recording everything the professor said that he didn’t already know from previous readings. When he asked his students a question, Harry’s and Hermione’s hand, shot into the air at the same time. Their classmates ogled their speed.

They turned to look at each other and smiled. It turned out that they both had the correct answer. By the end of class, the two had answered every question that Professor Binns tried to throw at them. Despite Draco’s worried hand on his elbow, Harry made his way over to the intellectual girl.

He extended his hand in greeting. Hermione eyed his Slytherin robes warily, but shook his hand, and Ron fumed at the likes of a “scummy snake” trying to be their friend.

“I’m Hermione. This twit is Ron, and, well, you know Neville, here.” She spoke clearly, pointing to each in turn.

Harry nodded at the group. “A pleasure. I’m Harry. If it would not inconvenience you, I think it would be cool to study together in the future.”

From behind the pair, Draco and Ron scowled at each other. Neither wanted their friend involved with another House.

“By the way, this is my best friend, Draco,” Harry grabbed the blond and pulled him close. His smile was bright, cheerful, and contagious because Hermione and Neville smiled back. The blond tried not to frown, but inclined his head in greeting. He had not expected Harry to run off and make weird friends from other Houses so suddenly, but if he was happy, so was Draco.

 “It looks like we need to head to Herbology next,” the green-eyed boy made a thoughtful noise as he flicked through his planner, bought from Muggle London. “We might as well walk there together, since we’re all in the same class, right?”

Hermione nodded first, and Neville followed suit. Apparently not all Slytherins were the ‘scum of the earth’, as Ron had claimed when they were having a discussion at breakfast. This one seemed nice enough, and even the blonde boy seemed interesting. They packed their bags and headed for the door, chatting amiably. Draco wasn’t about to get separated, so he kept close to his friend, leaving Ron shuffling along behind. The red-head was not content to let their Houses mingle, but he didn’t seem to have a choice. He grumbled quietly all the way outside and to the greenhouses, where Professor Sprout was waiting for them.

Despite his awkwardness, Neville immediately felt the pressure of the previous class wash away. This was his element, his calling, and his hand was the first one up to answer questions. His knowledge was on a fourth year level at least, and he earned Gryffindor several points because he surprised the professor.

Herbology flew by compared to History of Magic, and then it was time for lunch. Most of the students immediately scuttled to the Dining Hall, but the ‘Golden Trio’ as Draco called them, and the two Slytherins stayed behind, Harry drilling Neville with questions about magical plants. As they walked and talked, Harry scribbled notes into his journal, determined to do more research so he could talk to Neville more about them. The other brunette seemed to radiant happiness at finding friends who loved Herbology as much as he did.

Unfortunately the group had to separate for lunch, but Harry intended to meet up with the Gryffindors whenever he could to study, and of course, he’d drag Draco along too.

When he was finished eating, Harry swallowed down another pain relief potion, not wanting a headache to get in the way of his lessons. Draco led the way to the dungeons, where the Potions classroom was located, and the entered the dark room that was lit with crackling torches hanging on the walls. Shelves upon shelves of books, ingredients, and supplies sorted neatly onto shelves covered each side and Harry was eager to begin.

The pair sat in the middle of the front row, right in front of what they assumed to be the professor’s desk. Harry pulled out his textbook, parchment, and quill and sat, fidgeting with excitement. Something about the room, or the subject made him really happy for a reason he could not name. Draco watched him warily, he knew first year level potions already, but to a normal kid, Potions would be another boring class, only more…dangerous if a mistake was made.

“Ah, Master Malfoy, a pleasure to see you again,”


	17. Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> iqjfhasbk another chapter up! >w> i love drama sooooooooo here ya go. 
> 
> thanks for all the continuous lovely comments and kudos!!! <3 they literally give me LIFE <3
> 
> alsoooo im tentatively going to update at some point every weekend (hope) unless i get distracted!!
> 
> <3

The smooth, deep voice from out of nowhere startled the two friends, who immediately greeted him courteously.

“Hello, Professor,” their voices came out in unison.

The man was tall and thin, with black, slightly wavy hair that settled at his shoulders, a nose that looked to have been broken one to many times in his past, and pale, slightly sallow skin. His eyes were the darkest shade of brown Harry had ever seen, he could definitely get lost in them if he looked long enough. His long robes were simply designed and black as well, _the better to hide the stains_ , the boy thought.

Harry couldn’t take his eyes off of the man. A nagging sensation in his belly bothered him, and the more he looked, the more his stomach became upset. The feeling traveled up his spine and rested right behind his eye. The boy tried to play it off, but his whole body was suddenly reacting badly and triggering another headache to bloom. Draco, noticed his fidgeting and rested his hand on his lower back, glancing at him worriedly. He definitely saw the brunette taking his pain relief potion at lunch…

The professor’s presence felt so _familiar,_ but Harry couldn’t place if they had ever met before. It was a struggle to keep his eyes from watering with pain the more he thought about it.

“Mr. Malfoy, who is your companion? I don’t believe you’ve spoken of him before.” The Potions Master murmured, raising an inquisitive eyebrow at the other boy’s movements.

“Professor Snape, this is my best friend Harry Potter.” The blonde smiled slightly, still running his hand up and down Harry’s back, trying to soothe him.

Harry smiled up at him shyly and nodded in greeting, biting his lip in effort to ignore his headache.

Severus’ eyes narrowed as he gazed at the small, green-eyed boy’s face. He could tell the boy was in pain from the muscles twitching in his face and neck. Dark, intelligent eyes roved Harry’s face, absorbing every fine detail of his appearance. He was too short and thin for a boy his age – he looked malnourished. His black hair was a mess, but appeared purposefully so, and smelled slightly floral indicating the use of a styling product. Harry's eyes, he thought, were the jewels of his face. Verdant orbs reflected his emotions and pain like a mirror to his soul. They looked exactly like Lily’s.

The professor felt his chest tighten and his heart ache immediately. Was this…could this be…his son? His precious boy that he had lost over ten years ago when his wife was murdered? His mind spun wildly, attempting to connect the pieces. Harry being at Hogwarts could not have been a coincidence, but… _Who sent him here?_ Severus wondered, unable to resist reaching out to touch Harry’s cheek lightly.

As soon as their skin touched Harry writhed away in agony, the pain and pressure of his headache increasing tenfold. _Something…something about this man is triggering it!_ Black spots dotted his vision and Draco clung to him for support as he began to wobble dangerously.

Immediately Severus had pulled away from the contact and for a moment watched helplessly as the boy appeared to be suffering from some unknown malady.

“Godfather, you have to _do_ something!” Draco whimpered as he pulled Harry to lean against him so the boy wouldn’t fall into the floor. His hands were shaking as they gently stroked his friend’s hair. “Something is wrong with him!”

Severus watched in horror as the boy that could be his son have what appeared to be an allergic reaction to something. His vision narrowed down to focus just on the boy and everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.

Harry was shuddering now, a full physical response to being touched by the older wizard. His head pounded viciously and his stomach roiled, threatening to bring up his lunch. A cold sweat gathered across his brow and down his spine and he felt unconsciousness reaching from the depths of his mind. He barely felt Draco’s warmth cradling him on one side, but he found he couldn’t speak and that he didn’t even have the energy to move at all.

“--ther!! _Godfather!”_ the blonde cried, snapping the professor back to attention. “Get Harry’s bag and find a pain relief potion right now!”

The man grabbed the bag and opened it, unable to hide his surprise at how much room there was in there before searching for the vial. He unstopped it and gave it to Draco, who was trying to keep Harry awake long enough to drink it, praying it would help him.

“Harry, drink this, it should help you feel better!”

The green-eyed boy felt something cold pressing against his lips and opened his mouth to accept the potion. It slid down his throat and hit his stomach and the pain alleviated for a blissful moment before returning, even worse. Draco had tears in his eyes as his friend cried into his shirt.

Watery silver-gray eyes looked up at his godfather helplessly. Setting his mouth in determination and muttering an apology, the professor pulled his cloak over his hands and easily scooped up the thin boy from Draco’s grasp. Their skin didn’t come in contact but their sudden closeness caused Harry to moan in pain. His small hand clutched Severus’ robe lightly as the man walked towards the door of the classroom.

“T-thanks, Professor,” Harry whispered before he let himself succumb to the darkness.

When Harry lost consciousness, Severus did not run to the Hospital Wing, but _flew,_ according to the students that saw him speeding down the hallways, his cloak billowing behind him. If they didn’t already think he was an actual dungeon bat, they certainly would now.

He nudged the door open with his foot because kicking it in would be very rude, and placed Harry on the nearest bed.

“Poppy!” he called, summoning the Mediwitch from her office.

She bustled over to him quickly, and he explained what he knew about what happened. Madam Pomfrey immediately began performing diagnostic scans on the boy who still suffered in his sleep.

A quill and parchment floating next to her wrote everything down that she found and administered a twice as powerful pain relief potion, so Harry could get some actual rest. Severus hovered over him worriedly and pored over the results that the Matron handed him, clutching at the paper. The injuries reported a broken arm in the past, internal bruising, split lips, minor cuts and scratches, and bloody noses. Nothing to explain the violent allergic reaction the boy had to the Potions Master.

“Please check his body thoroughly, there might be something we don’t see affecting him.” Severus’ voice was soft with concern. Poppy gazed at the pale man, secretly pleased that the seemed genuinely worried about someone.

He turned while Madam Pomfrey went to work but turned back quickly when she gasped in horror. She had turned Harry onto his belly after taking off his shirt, and Severus’ skin crawled at the sight of scars and fading purple bruises that covered his back. The boy looked like he had been whipped repeatedly for doing god knows what over a long period of time.

“Heal him. _Now.”_  His voice was a whisper.

“I can only heal the bruises. The scars are too old to heal, Severus.” Poppy murmured, already spreading bruise balm across Harry’s back. “Other than the injuries the scans reported, there is nothing physical that could cause this behavior.”

“What if it…what if it is a sp—“ The man was interrupted by Draco slamming the Hospital Wing door open. The blonde was out of breath, and panting. He had gotten lost in the castle and it took him some time to find his way there.

“Is Harry alright?” Draco rushed over to Harry’s bedside only to be repulsed by the scars and bruises that were only partially healed. “W-what! What happened to him?! Heal him!” he babbled, taking the sleeping boy’s hand in his own.

Severus sighed deeply. “The scars are too old, Draco. The bruises will fade. It looks like he has been through a lot before he came to Hogwarts. As for his reaction to me, I do not know what caused it. I will have to do some research.” He rested a hand on Draco’s shoulder comfortingly. “I must return to the classroom and deal with any young fools that are waiting for me. You and Potter have the rest of the day off.”

With that, the Potions Master swept out of the Wing, cloaks billowing.

“He should be just fine, Mr. Malfoy, please don’t worry. Professor Snape will surely find out what’s wrong with the poor boy.”

Draco just nodded and have Harry’s hand a soft squeeze of reassurance. “Yes, I’m sure he will.”


	18. Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for staying with me!!! <3 here's another chapter up <3
> 
> feel kinda 'meh' about this chapter kinda, but i also like it *shrug*
> 
> love you all <3

Harry Potter’s sleep was tormented by nightmares: vague glimpses and snippets of memories. A woman’s soft laughter, a male voice murmuring softly, before that familiar blinding flash of light. A new sound: a piercing, guttural laugh that sounded like the person had fluid in their lungs pervaded his mind and it chilled his dream-self to the bone. It sounded maniacal and it frightened him. He tried to see past the blurred, foggy images but to no avail. The scenes kept repeating over and over and Harry couldn’t force his body awake. His dream-self clapped his hands over his ears and screamed to drown out disturbing laugh that echoed in his mind.

\--

Draco had refused to leave the sleeping boy’s side the rest of the afternoon and into the night. He sat by the bed and held Harry’s hand and dabbed the cold sweat from his face and neck. When the brunette started writhing and making small whimpers because of his dreams, the blond soothed him by running a hand through his hair.

Suddenly, his best friend shot up in the bed, shouting, causing the unprepared blonde to cry out in surprise and topple to the floor. Harry’s heart thumped rapidly after he woke up in an unfamiliar place, he found his hands clutching his ears and let them fall to his sides after realizing he was awake. The sound of Draco falling made him jump and peer over the edge of the bed, blinking blearily at his companion. Draco quickly got back to his feet and grasped Harry’s hand. He sniffled a little and rubbed at his eyes with this free hand, happy his friend was conscious again.

“Dray, why are you crying?” Harry gave the blonde’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“D-don’t make me laugh, a Malfoy n-never cries.” The blonde sniffled more, covering his face with his hand, embarrassed as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Harry pulled Draco to him and hugged him close as he cried, running his fingers through the silky locks. He murmured sweet things in an effort to comfort his friend.

“I…I was worried that you wouldn’t wake up,” Draco whispered into the brunette’s neck. “Y-you reacted really badly when Professor Snape touched you. He was the one that brought you to the Hospital Wing.” Harry heard more sniffling and felt tears drip down his chest. _Wait, where are my clothes!?_  The dark haired boy glanced down at his naked chest and glanced around the room quickly, noting that it was dark outside. _How long was I out…?_

He fought away the panic that was creeping up his throat in favor of holding Draco close. If it had been hours since he arrived here, anyone and everyone would have seen his scars and bruises. It was too late to be upset about it. He also noticed that his back did not ache anymore and figured that the Matron must have healed the deep bruising that had marred his skin from the last beating he received before being swept away by Hagrid.

Harry was ashamed of his frail, malnourished, scar covered body and always would be, he reckoned. But Draco did not seem to care at all because he clung to him with all his might, afraid his green-eyed friend might disappear. He leaned back against the pillows and Draco settled more comfortably next to him, throwing an arm around him. The tears had stopped but the blond still sniffed.

They said in content silence for a while, just listening to each other breathe when a thought drifted across Harry’s mind. He barely remembered what happened between him passing out and waking up in the Hospital Wing, and needed to confirm something with the blonde.

“Draco, during the whole weird thing that happened, did…you call Professor Snape your godfather?” he murmured, brows furrowing. He didn’t know that kids could go to school where their family members worked.

The blonde nodded and answered back softly, “Yeah, he is. The professor and my family go way back.”

Harry felt a pang of _something_ in his chest and frowned slightly. “I see,” he muttered. His eyes were getting heavier by the second and he yawned. “I’ll have to thank him somehow…”

Draco’s answer never came because he had already fallen fast asleep. Harry smiled at his friend and let unconsciousness take him.

\--

Severus Snape was still awake in his chambers, despite it being almost dawn. His huge wooden desk was piled high with tomes, both new and old, and his more than slightly crooked nose was buried in one. The scent of the yellowed, aged pages always soothed him, especially when he was frustrated. He was searching every book he owned for answers as to why Harry reacted to badly to his touch.

He used his extensive knowledge of potions to strike out option after option. The answers he was seeking refused to be found in the texts. Severus groaned in frustration and rubbed the bridge of his nose. _If it isn’t a potion…is it a curse_? The man ground the heels of his palms into his eyes. _Why put a curse on an eleven year old boy? Unless...he’s hiding something or someone is using him to hide a secret…_ Severus closed the book on ancient potions gently before flicking his wand, directing all of his books to put themselves away.

Pushing back his chair the man stood and stretched his lanky body. His back groaned in protest and cracked loudly after sitting in his chair for so long.

With a sigh he removed his outer teaching robes and hung them in his wardrobe. He had a few hours to utilize before his classes began at 11am, and he planned on using them to sleep. His body flopped gracelessly onto his plush mattress and the Potions Master sighed in content, eyes swiftly closing. The dreams were the same that he had every night since his beautiful wife died. They were filled with every happy memory they had ever shared together and would seem so real that when Severus woke, the feeling of the cold and empty mattress beside him left him sinking further into despair. It was the ultimate torture and oftentimes he took a dreamless sleep potion to ease his sleep.

He didn’t have time to think about taking the potion before he crashed into unconsciousness, as the lovely dreams of Lily’s fiery red hair and sparkling green eyes, and his baby’s soft, round, smiling face called him deeper into slumber.

\--

Harry woke up to rays of gentle, early morning sunlight warming face. He blinked a few times and turned his head to see a nest of blonde hair resting on his shoulder, Draco’s chest rising and falling slowly in sleep. The brunette wiggled out from under him, letting the blond use a pillow instead. With a big yawn he rubbed his eyes and peered around the Hospital Wing. It was a beautiful room, but smelt of sanitizing products. He  already didn’t want to make it a habit of coming here often. Madam Pomfrey was at his side the moment he sat up, bringing with her a tray with cups of water and some porridge.

“Mr. Potter, how are you feeling this morning?” her voice was gentle, as was the smile she showed him.

“A-ah. I’m doing okay, thank you.” Harry smiled back, gratefully accepting his own water and porridge, beginning to eat immediately, finding himself to be famished.

Draco stirred at the smell of food and sat up too, blearily looking around the room. He flushed in embarrassment at his obviously disheveled state, but accepted Madam Pomfrey’s offerings with a polite ‘thank you’.

“Also, Mr. Potter, Professor Snape left excuses from class for the both of you, so I would go down and thank him when you get a moment,” she sat the envelopes on the bed before returning to her office, a small, knowing smile gracing her lips. She had a feeling these boys would cause mischief, but hoped they wouldn’t end up back in her care once again.

The blonde found Harry’s clothes, which had been cleaned and pressed, much to Harry’s surprise. Draco explained about the magic of Hogwarts as well as the House Elves who did the cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Both of the boys tidied themselves up before they left the Hospital Wing. Somehow they made it back to the Dungeons without getting lost, and Draco led Harry to the door to Professor Snape’s chambers.The door was a dark painted wood, with a huge snake carved into it. Harry’s eyes widened at the intricate detail and craftsmanship. It looked like the serpent could easily slither right off of the door and onto the floor. And by no means was it designed to look vicious. The delicate lines of the head created an elegant profile, and before he could stop himself, Harry let his fingers trail gently across the carved scales.

_Ssssssssssss…_

A soft hiss reached Harry’s ears and suddenly the snake was moving within the confines of the wooden frame, turning to look at him eyes inlaid with glittering emeralds.

_“Who arrrrre you? And yourrrr rrreasssssson forrrr being herrrre?”_

The snake was talking. _Talking_ to _them._

“Draco Malfoy and friend Harry Potter wish to speak to Professor Snape about _personal_ business.” The blonde did not look away from the snake’s eyes, as he knew it was spelled to reveal if the visitor was lying.

 _“Verrrrry well, Masssssterrrr Malfoy, and frrrriend Potterrrr, you may enterrrr.”_  It swung silently inward, and the boys stepped inside, the door closing behind them.

Professor Snape’s room was warm from the crackling fire, and Draco dragged Harry over to sit on the small settee where it was warm, fretting about his health. He knew Severus would be out to greet them within a few minutes, so he spent the time pointing out neat objects and books to Harry, who absorbed all of the information like a sponge.

They were looking at a well-used book about the poisons of magical creatures when the professor finally appeared. He knew they were there but he was still surprised to see Harry out of the Hospital Wing. The images of his scar covered body made his skin crawl but the man shrugged it off in favor of settling opposite them in a high-backed leather arm chair, crossing his arms over his chest. His dark eyes glimmered in the firelight as they focused completely on the young wizards.

“So, what is it that you came to see me about?”


	19. D.A.D.A

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO FREAKING SORRY FOR BEING AWAY AND NOT WRITING AS I HAD PROMISED kafjegvrnbdfkjn
> 
> after i post this chapter i'll be two chapters behind TT_________________TT
> 
> life got in the way T_T 
> 
> i love you all so very much!!! AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR OVER 9000 HITS!!! :"D <3
> 
> here's another fluffy chapter
> 
> <3

Grey eyes met green before both turned to focus on the professor before them.

“I came to thank you for taking care of me the other day. I’m sorry that I caused you both trouble and concern.” Harry murmured, fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve. “That reaction surprised and scared me.”

Severus gazed at the brunette, unsure of what to say. He was wildly worried about the boy that could be his son, and feeling at a loss as to what was causing him pain. The man would have to delve deeper into more texts, he hoped, before an answer would materialize. 

“I brought you to the Hospital Wing like any professor or student would have done in my stead, Mr. Potter. That was not special treatment.” the professor came of more harsh than he meant to and his heart ached when Harry flinched.  _I_   _can’t reveal anything until I know for sure what is causing it and if he is truly my son. Any undo concern will go straight to his head..._

Draco rubbed a soothing hand on Harry's back, trying to comfort his friend. He knew for a fact that Severus Snape a.k.a. "The Evil Bat from the Dungeons" was one of the sweetest, kindest, most caring people he has ever met in his short life. The boy also knew how his Godfather thought things through. Something was bothering the man, making him seem rougher than he usually was. _If only I knew what it was…_ Draco thought pensively.

Harry was gazing at his hands that were picking at a string on the hem of his sleeve. The dark man before him made him nervous, his stomach twisting at the thought of being this close to him. The reaction he had to the man’s touch frightened the boy, but also made him think. Something about the Potions Master made him sick even though he had taken his pain relief potion… _what’s happening to me…?_ Harry’s mind was cluttering over with a myriad of ideas and possible solutions.  Draco’s hand on his arm startled him out of his trance, and words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them:

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Please help me Professor,” The brunette’s hand quickly covered his mouth. He immediately felt embarrassed, his skin flushing, and ears burning. _How can I expect a man I don’t even know to help me with an unknown malady? You’re so stupid Harry!!_

Severus was taken aback by the boy’s sudden plea for help, from _him_ , no less. He was afraid to get close to Harry, but the red-faced boy with glimmering green eyes won him over immediately.

“I will need a vial of your blood to work with. There are several tests I want to run in order to reduce the number of probable causes. My helping you will not in any way affect our teacher-student relationship. I still expect you to attend all classes unless otherwise discussed between us.” His low, harsh tone was back and the professor forced himself to not cringe when Harry sniffled.

A few tears had begun to drip down Harry’s cheeks and he scrubbed them away roughly before Draco gently placed a soft handkerchief into his hand. _I’m going to get help. I’m going to be fixed!_

“I would like to do it now, if it’s okay with you Sir. I really…I really appreciate anything you can do to help me learn more about this…” he waved a hand in front of himself. “Whatever _this_ is.”

Without another word, Severus wandlessly summoned an empty crystal vial and a small blade from his small lab. He floated them across the short distance to Harry, who gently took them out of the air. He made a swift cut into his palm and his blood came bubbling out. The deep redness of it fascinated the green eyed boy as he watched it collect into the vial. Once full, he corked it and Severus summoned it and the knife back.

Harry easily healed his hand with several easy wand movements. The Potions Master watched him, impressed at his use of a third year healing spell.

“I cannot promise results immediately. But if I find anything worthy of note, I will not hesitate to tell you. Now, you are both dismissed. My class will begin shortly and I must prepare.”

Draco pulled Harry up and they gathered their things.

“Professor, I can’t thank you enough.” Harry smiled up at him and Severus felt his cheeks warm. The blonde smiled knowingly and nodded his thanks to his godfather, pulling Harry out of the chambers.

Their next class did not begin until noon, so they had time to grab a quick bite of lunch after they showered and changed into fresh uniforms. Harry was positively beaming, and his smile filled Draco with a pleasant warmth. They headed to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and found a place at the front to sit. When they heard hushed voices enter the room, the boys were not surprised to see Hermione, Neville, and Ron come in, the girl berating the red head.

After finding her seat and noticing Harry, she walked pointedly over to her, brushing some curls off of her face. She smiled at him, but there was worry in her eyes.

“You both missed classes yesterday, are you alright?” Her dark brown eyes searched theirs.

“I got sick all of a sudden before Potions started, and needed to rest. Must have been something I ate. Draco stayed to look after me. Thank you for worrying about us, Hermione.” His bright smile appeased her worried look and she handed each of them a packet of parchment. “I took liberties of taking notes for you, though I am sure you already know the content.”

Ron made an unpleasant noise from across the room. “Does that mean you’ll take notes for me when I miss class?”

“Absolutely not, Ronald. I will make sure you will not miss your lessons.” Her voice was firm, but she winked at the Slytherins before returning to her friends.

Harry looked over at Neville, who waved shyly back at him. He waved back happily before returning to his textbook. This was one of the classes he was most excited about. In all of the books he had read, it was said that the Dark Arts were very powerful, but not without a price. And because of that they were considered ‘evil’ and most often, ‘forbidden’. But by learning how to defend himself against it, Harry could figure out ways around defensive spells.

He desperately wanted to learn magic in all forms and accumulate as much knowledge as possible to protect himself and the people he cared about the most.

Draco laughed quietly when Harry opened his book and it was covered in bright ink. He was not surprised by that or the fact that he knew the brunette had probably read it at least twice. The blond twirled his own green highlighter between his fingers idly.

An arm draping across his shoulder startled him, but a familiar face beside his made him relax.

“Hello Blaise.”

“Draco! Where have you and Harry been?” a female voice that made Harry squirm unpleasantly oozed into his ear as a pair of arms wrapped around his neck from behind. He had to resist the urge to throw her off.

“Hi Pansy,” her grip tightened a bit as she giggled at his use of her name.

“Harry was sick in the Hospital Wing. I stayed with him.” The blonde crooned, holding out his arm to try and goad her into hugging him instead.

His friend looked like he was about to be sick to his stomach if she kept touching him. The girl took the bait and hugged Draco eagerly, letting Harry breathe in air untainted by her overpowering perfume. When he turned he noticed the last two of their companions, quietly standing behind Blaise and Pansy. Crabbe and Goyle nodded in their direction when he made eye contact before settling in the back row.

“Professor Snape did not tell us where you were,” Blaise murmured, and Draco shrugged.

“I know we’re friends, but I suppose Professor Snape thought it was just our business. You know how he is,” the blonde rolled his eyes teasingly.

Pansy was gushing over him and making eyes at Harry when a man, presumably the professor entered. The classroom went silent as he walked to the front to stand beside his podium and chalk board. He was very frail looking, with a gaunt, thin face, shrouded in multiple layers of robes. He even had a turban wrapped around his head.

“N-Now class, I-I’m Professor Q-Quirrell, your D-Defense Against the D-Dark A-Arts teacher,” he began and a snigger came from the Gryffindor side of the room.

“Is he another ghost?” the red-head snickered, making his friend Seamus have to stifle his own laughter. Without looking away from their professor, Hermione kicked Ron’s shin under the desk. He cried out in pain and glared at her. The girl did not bother responding as she opened her book to chapter one, completely ignoring him.

The older wizard cleared his throat before starting in on that day’s introductory course which involved years of history of the Dark Arts. The class groaned at yet another history lesson, but Harry was delighted, not so much by the stuttering man, but the content of which he spoke. He did know most of the information already, but readily wrote down any extra information that the man spoke of that were not mentioned in the text. Class flew by too quickly, much to his disappointment.  _Perhaps I'll ask if he has any books I could borrow..._

He personally thanked Professor Quirrell, who balked at the sudden attention, before Harry left with Draco to head to their next class.

Glinting, dark eyes followed him as he walked out of the room with his friends. 


	20. Transfiguration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have returned with a new chapter >w>;;; 
> 
> sorry it seems kind of short u-u;;
> 
> as always, thank you all for your support, lovely comments, and kudos!! <3
> 
> ya'll are the best <3<3<3

The Charms classroom was huge, with a high ceiling and tiered seats. Draco and Harry entered, and found a seat close to the professor’s desk, so they would be able to see him more easily. Much to Harry’s fascination, the man was not entirely human. In fact, Harry noted his short stature and pointed features and guessed he was part goblin or other small humanoid.

Once everyone was seated, the professor stood atop his desk and introduced himself.

“My name is Filius Flitwick, and I am going to be your Charms professor. First year level charms can be very entertaining, but in the end they will be of great help to you during your everyday life.” Harry could tell that the man was very intelligent and very kind, just by his voice, and he greatly appreciated it.

He peeked across the room and noted how Hermione and Neville were avidly paying attention as well. The curly haired brunette’s eyes sparkled, and Harry couldn’t help but smile, happy that he had made friends with the Gryffindors and looked forward to studying with them.

Draco, on the other hand, looked bored out of his mind and did not pay as much attention to the small professor as Harry would have liked. The dark-haired boy prodded him in the side and motioned his head at the man. He got an eye roll in response along with a scrawled note saying: “I already know all of the first year Charm spells. This is _boring._ ”

The blonde felt bad when Harry’s expression turned sour and the boy turned away from him. He’d have to apologize later.

To Draco’s surprise, Charms flew by, as he was fascinated by Harry and his pure excitement at manipulating his magic to levitate the practice quill. His eyes glimmered with happiness, especially when he and Hermione earned praise from Professor Flitwick on their skills. The young Malfoy sighed quietly. _Who am I kidding…Any class with Harry could never be boring._

Harry looked disappointed when class was dismissed but Draco soothed him with the promise to practice with him later, on more objects instead of just a quill. Green eyes lit up and the bright smile returned as the boys left the classroom to head to Transfiguration. The brunette exuded his eagerness to begin even before he sat down. His foot tapped on the floor as he flicked through his textbook, skimming over the first chapter to refresh his mind.

Some time passed and the rest of the Slytherins and Gryffindors had finally settled in. Instead of sitting farther away, Hermione and Neville, with Ron in tow, moved several desks closer to the two Slytherin boys. Harry waved at them and the girl smiled, and the Boy-Who-Lived waved back shyly.

“What’s taking the professor so long?” Ron moaned, wanting to be free to go to dinner.

“Weasley, the professor is already in this room, watching us.” Harry spoke mysteriously, making everyone around him snicker. Most did not take him seriously, but the two _intelligent_ Gryffindors and Draco looked at him, curiously.

All eyes were on his finger as Harry slowly pointed to a beautiful grey tabby cat that was perched perfectly still on the teacher’s desk.

The feline’s eyes met his and it seemed to nod in acknowledgement before leaping from the desk. Several students gasped but others just gaped at the cat _transformed_ into a woman, right before their eyes. She was wearing a dark robe over an equally dark dress, her graying dark brown hair pulled tightly back in a bun. Her eyes held knowledge that Harry craved to understand, and when her green gaze fell upon him, he smiled.

“Mr. Potter. That was exceptional. How did you know?” Even though she was Gryffindor’s Head of House, she was impressed with him.

“Cats are wonderful creatures, very, very clever animals. But they are never perfectly still. Once you hopped up onto your desk, during Ron’s whining, no one seemed to notice, or if they did, they disregarded you.” Harry paused to take a breath before continuing. “There could be something about the Animagus ability that directs the attentions of human elsewhere, unless the transformed witch or wizard wants to be noticed. The ability is not hereditary but learned through hard work.”

“Excellent, Mr. Potter, you are correct. Five points to Slytherin. Class, my name is Minerva McGonagall and I shall be your Transfiguration professor. He is right, I am an Animagus, fully registered, mind you.” She smiled approvingly at the green-eyed boy who flushed, now feeling all of his classmates’ eyes on him.

Draco patted his arm reassuringly and even some Gryffindors smiled at him, even though he did not score points for their House.

Since this was the first lesson of the year, Professor McGonagall reviewed Chapter One in _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration._  Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Draco made it a game to see who could answer the most questions, leaving the rest of their classmates tittering at their antics. Even their professor smiled, happy to see the two Houses interacting so peacefully. It was a rare occurrence, but it pleased her whenever it did happen.

In this way, the lecture flew by, and as Harry and Draco were packing up, their friends from Gryffindor came to stand with them.

“That was fun, Harry, D-Draco,” Neville smile shyly.

Hermione nodded enthusiastically, her curls bouncing. “Yes! I see you both have every necessary textbook required for each class, like me. It is a pleasure to be friends with people who understand the importance of reading and studying.”

Ron groaned behind her, wanting to go to dinner, but not wanting to go by himself. The girl’s words hurt, because he knew that she was talking about him. _Well, I’ll just have to attempt to prove her wrong then!_ To be honest he had fallen in love with Hermione from the moment he saw her. She was incredibly intelligent and beautiful, and her smile made his knees weak. But he would wait, and bide his time, to see if she actually felt anything towards him at all.

In truth, he _hated_ studying. He wanted to get out of Hogwarts as quickly as possible and get a job, like his father, at the Ministry of Magic or as a member of a famous Quidditch team. That would be the dream because you wouldn’t _need_ to know anything except how to ride a broom and the rules and strategies of the game.

He sighed dreamily as Hermione and Neville chattered on and on with the two Slytherin boys, whom he still did not trust, especially now since the green-eyed one kept making her smile so brightly and her eyes light up. Ron did not want some snake taking any chance of the girl liking him away, and it made his skin crawl thinking about it.

“Oi, Hermione, Nev, let’s go to dinner already, I’m starving!” The redhead tugged on her sleeve gently, and gave her his puppy dog eyes when she turned to look at him with a raised brow.

She cleared her throat and looked back at Harry and Draco, smiling apologetically.

“Let me get this whiner to dinner. If you ever want to study or work together for papers and exams, just let us know!” with that said, she let Ron lead her out of the classroom, Neville waving his goodbye.

When the Gryffindors left, Draco let down his guard, his shoulders dropping into a more relaxed position. He didn’t know he was tense until he and Harry were left alone. The blonde did not trust the lions, but he was torn because his best friend seemed attached to them. _They certainly seem more intelligent than the rest of the people in their class, so that is something..._ Draco thought.

After Harry received more praise from their professor, he was beaming as they headed to the Great Hall for dinner. The rest of their group flocked around them, eager to spend time with them, talking their ears off, much to Draco’s annoyance. Crabbe and Goyle even asked Harry to help them with their homework, much to the blonde’s surprise. Normally they would have just wrote whatever and turned it in, seemingly uncaring about their grades.

But the brunette seemed to inspire people, both young and old, much like a ray of sunshine, he radiated kindness and intellect that caught people off guard, but immediately charmed them.

Draco sighed softly and rested his chin on his hand, watching Harry and his fellow Slytherins eat and discuss their lessons. His eyes wandered up to the teacher’s table and caught the dark eyes of Professor Snape, who he had caught smiling softly at Harry. His godfather nodded subtly and returned to his meal.

-

This year would definitely be exciting as long as Harry was around.


	21. Study Session

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little late, but i'm here!!
> 
> yesterday (the 10th) was my 24th birthday and i spent most of it sick LOL
> 
> today i feel much better and am excited to post this! :'D
> 
> i love you all and every comment and kudo is a gift! <3

After dinner, Harry was cajoled into helping other first years with their homework once they got back to the Slytherin Common Room. A lovely fire crackled in the big hearth as Harry went over the days lessons and answered any questions that the other students had. Draco watched, smiling softly from across the room, as his best friend was surrounded by their house-mates and he could not get near him. But he could tell Harry was flattered by all of the attention, his cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling with happiness at taking care of other people.

_Perhaps he would make a great professor one day…_ Draco mused, running a hand through his blonde hair. He felt a pang of jealousy whenever the brunette smiled  at anyone else , but the young Malfoy squashed down that feeling. There was no reason to be jealous at all. Harry would lead Slytherin to greatness, Draco could feel it. 

An hour passed, then two, then three. All of the first years remained around Harry, their homework finished two hours ago. Instead of talking about homework, they talked about their hopes and dreams, what they wanted out of life, what they were most excited to learn about, and places they wanted to go. It seemed Harry’s undivided attention made everyone feel completely at ease, and want to open up to him. The blonde was impressed when Crabbe and Goyle participated.

The Common Room door creaking open made everyone jump, and Harry looked sheepishly up at the inquisitive expression, raised eyebrow included, of Professor Snape. He had come in to make sure the lights were out and everyone was in bed, as it was close to curfew. Not only was he startled by the crowd of  young  witches and  wizards gathered around Mr. Potter, but also because Harry looked genuinely happy. He seemed to be glowing with affection, and his smile almost blinded the professor. 

“What exactly is happening so close to curfew, little snakes?” Severus could not make his words come out harsh, as he had intended. He did not want Harry to get upset.

Everyone quieted down as Harry stood from his place on the floor.

“Ah, well, after dinner we decided to review today’s lessons and do our homework together. When we finished, we talked about our dreams and our interests for the future. I didn’t realize how much time had passed, I’m sorry we caused a disturbance Professor.” Harry bit his lip worriedly, but did not let his gaze fall away from his professor’s.

Severus did not reply for a few moments. His eyes never left Harry’s face, reading his sincere expression and his apology.  _This small boy brought the entire group of first years together and they did homework and avidly discussed their futures? There is something truly wonderful about him…_

“I came to inform you all that it is very nearly time for lights out. Please get ready for bed and return to your dorms for the night.” At everyone’s looks of disappointment, Severus replied: “I’m sure Mr. Potter will be glad to continue with your group study sessions, won’t you, Harry?”

The smile the Potion’s Professor face was subtle, but Harry caught it and nodded enthusiastically. With that in mind, the first years proceeded to pack up their things and trail out of the Common Room.

Draco and Harry stayed behind, and the brunette was worried about being punished for causing a ruckus. But Severus’ subtle smile widened and he relaxed a bit.

“Five points to Slytherin for encouraging group participation. I must say, Mr. Potter it seems that you truly are a golden boy. Everyone takes a liking to you immediately, barring some exceptions. I am proud of you for helping your classmates, and hope that you continue to do so. Thank you.” The professor let what he was thinking turn into words and had to force himself to stop talking before he embarrassed himself further. “Head to bed you two, see you in class.” he spoke quickly and turned, cloak swirling behind him as he left.

“He likes you, Harry.” Draco’s teasing voice cut through tension that Harry did not realize had built up and the green-eyed boy jumped.

He playfully shoved his friend all the way back, first to the bathroom, then to the dorms. They talked quietly for a few minutes before they fell asleep, Harry’s dreams blessedly not visited by nightmares.

-

The next few days were a blur, followed by the rest of the month. Harry spent that time having more fun than he had in the rest of his life combined. He kept a careful eye on his headaches along with any triggers. He took extra strength pain relief and nutrition potions three times a day, at Snape’s insistence. Harry deemed it effective after not having any sort of headache over the course of the month. Then again, he avoided touching anyone except Draco, and everyone else was told to be very careful about not touching him. He had made up an explanation that his magic reacted badly when other people touched him, and everyone seemed to believed him. The other Slytherins did not give him any trouble over it, most knowing that he was probably lying, but accepted it. Some had dark pasts and also shared the an aversion to touch. 

Slytherin first years were taking their classes by storm, neck-and-neck to the Ravenclaws for best grades out of all Houses. Every night after dinner, and even Sunday evenings Harry held his study and homework session followed by the discussion of worries, goals, and opportunities to improve. The students’ motivation seemed to skyrocket, and only Severus Snape knew why.

He even created a new room attached to the Common Room for studie s, using Hogwart’s magic. It had immediately come to his aid when Severus was thinking how he could be of help the green-eyed boy.  It was basically a small version of a classroom, with desks and a chalk board.  The chairs could easily shift to another type of seat if the student wished, from stools to bean bag chairs. Two of the walls held rows of books and other instruments for practicing magic. It was the perfect place to learn outside of the actual classrooms, and kept the Slytherins comfortable in their own secure space. 

When he had shown Harry the room, the boy cried. Not loudly, but very quietly. Fat tears rolled down his cheeks and his smile was positively beaming. As much as he wanted to hug his professor for his act of kindness, he deemed it unsafe because a headache could trigger at any moment. It was the second best gift of his life, the first being his freedom from the Dursleys. 

-

The first years came to class every day knowing the subject matter, but eager to learn more and more.  It was often discussed when the professors and Headmaster were at their twice weekly meetings. Severus’ Slytherins were highly praised from every professor they had. Harry was brought up more than once, as well as the Granger girl from Gryffindor.  They were thought to be the smartest first years, and perhaps the smartest students out of fifth years too. 

Albus Dumbledore’s eyes glinted every time Harry Potter was mentioned. He had yet thought of a reason to meet with the boy one-on-one to discuss  _things._ It appeared from his day to day life that Harry did not question his last name, the death of his mother, or the absence of his father. The memories implanted in his brain as a babe as well as what the Dursleys were told concluded with both of his parents dying in a car crash. 

It seems that his spell was working still, and for that he felt a pang of pride at his magical power. The spell was still fully functioning even after eleven years. And, if Albus had anything to do with it, it would stay that way.  As long as the boy stayed at Hogwarts and was under the influence of his spells, he could mold him into the perfect soldier. Harry was already showing incredible academic promise and under Albus’ careful eye, he would slowly release the boy’s magic, and temper it to Albus’ goals. Even when he was an infant the Headmaster knew Harry would be one of the most powerful wizards.The old wizard needed to control it, dampen it, and prevent him from reaching his full potential, or the boy would be able to rebel against him if he ever found out the truth. 

_Seeing as who his father is...it is to be expected that Potter would be intelligent and powerful...if I do not control him, he could become the next Dark Lord. Tom, what did you bring into this world?_

He needed the Potter boy in his plans to finally destroy Lord Voldemort, and end his reign of terror  once and for all. And since Albus was like to believe that Harry was Tom’s and Lily’s child, he could imagine that the Dark Lord would relent and surrender when faced with Harry being a hostage. Even a man as evil and cold as he could not resist his own son. At least, that was the plan. 

T hings seemed to be going according to his plan, despite the troubles he had foreseen. Potter was even making friends with his Gryffindor Boy-Who-Lived, and Granger, the smartest witch in a century. Honestly the wizard was surprised at how close Harry had come to his lion friends, and even the Malfoy brat did not seem to mind.  _Yes...things are certainly heading in the right direction._

Though sometime soon, the Headmaster decided, he would need to summon Harry to his office for some lemon drops and tea.  Albus’ lighthearted sounding chuckle did nothing to match the dark look in his eyes as he returned to his chambers.

-

Harry felt a sudden shiver up his spine which stopped his voice in the middle of a spell.  He looked around discretely before shrugging it off, seeing no disturbance within the classroom. Draco looked at him worriedly, but returned the brunette’s small smile as they continued their lesson. 

Unbeknownst to the Slytherins, the man that was supposed to protect them continued to make plans for the green-eyed boy’s eventual destruction. 


	22. All Hallow's Eve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fdhjwuihgVILAH 
> 
> im BACK
> 
> another fluffy chapter with something exciting happening at the end

Outside of classes, meals, and study sessions with his Housemates, Harry Potter led a quiet, studious life. He could be found in the library poring over texts, absorbing as much information as he could, alone or with the pleasant company of his Gryffindor friends, Hermione, Neville, and Ron. To some, it was confusing that a Slytherin would ever have inter-House relations, let alone be such good friends and interact outside of classes. A side affect of the Lion’s association with Harry seemed to reduce the amount of teasing they received from other Houses, as no one wanted to be out of the small boy’s favor.

Even Draco was being pleasant with the Gryffindors, much to Harry’s delight.

Soon Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs approached Harry for help and friendship alike. The result of his unconscious networking with each House was each earning more points and increased sense of unity. Honestly, in such a short period of time, Harry’s presence greatly affected everyone, and most of the Professors and other staff were greatly impressed by him and enthusiastically encouraged him.

Two pairs of eyes constantly watched him, though, seeking out any sort of slip up. The Headmaster’s skin crawled at the thought that the little snake was leading the school better than he was. Dumbledore could see the resemblance between Harry and Tom Riddle and he shuddered. It was simply disgusting! The strive for academic excellence, the innate leadership, the popularity...all that was missing was noticeable hunger for power. Perhaps the boy had not discovered a reason, but the old wizard assumed it would come, a goal would form and then Harry would go to any lengths to attain it, much like Riddle did. The end result would be the deaths of many at the powerful wizard’s hand. _Tom’s own flesh_ _and_ _blood, here at Hogwarts… why does Potter go through such lengths to help people? He’s got to be planning something…_

He knew the other professors simply adored him, Harry had them under his charming spell, all except one. Professor Quirrell, a highly talented wizard who was both adept at and teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts shared Albus’ belief that the boy was up to something.

As soon as he was sorted into Slytherin, Quirrell immediately felt suspicious. He had no evidence to prove that Potter had any ulterior motives, but something about the boy was off. The professor shared his thoughts with the Headmaster, who encouraged him to keep an eye on the boy, in case something did happen.

When Harry was in class, he excelled. The smile on his face bright enough to melt Quirrell’s eyes as he practiced and recited knowledge. _His excitement spreads to others, making them more pliable and willing to learn. Interesting. Is he attempting to gather followers, much like the Dark Lord did while he was in school? If so, why pick people outside of his House?_

Harry Potter was a puzzle that neither Albus Dumbledore nor Quirrell could solve and it aggravated them both to no end.

–

Severus Snape, on the other hand, was thrilled about the new addition to his House. Harry had only been in school a short while but he had already increased the morale and interest in academics in his snakes tenfold. To say the man was proud was an understatement. Slytherin was doing better now than they have in the years since Tom Riddle was at Hogwarts. It wasn’t even halfway through the year and the little brunette's efforts had put Slytherin into the lead in points. Snape was not even upset that Harry was associating with other Houses. He would not fault the boy in increasing unity throughout the entire school. If he was indeed Severus and Lily’s son, that would be a trait he got from her, she was the most caring, loving person he ever had the pleasure of meeting, let alone marrying.  

There was only two concerns on Severus’ mind involving the boy. Only Harry and Draco knew that he was trying to help Harry get well, but not about the blood-line potion which he was brewing to determine the brunette’s lineage.

He was still performing tests using Harry’s blood to determine the cause of his terrible headaches. The Potion’s Professor was having the worst luck. All of the results came back negative for any illness or malady. Nothing was physically wrong with the boy, leaving the only option for the cause to be mental...or magical. Severus could not imagine the boy would somehow make his own body have adverse reactions to specific people, but he ran more tests, just to confirm his theory. The last few methods he had in mind were ones to diagnose magical influence as well as one to determine who his parents were.

It would take at least two months to brew the potion that would confirm if and what spells, charms, or hexes were affecting the brunette. The professor was also brewing the hereditary potion to use when the other was complete to have both results at the same time. It would be around Christmas before he would have his answers, and he honestly could not wait.

–

All Hallow’s Eve, a holiday that Harry never had the opportunity to celebrate while trapped at the Dursley’s, had suddenly arrived. The Great Hall was festively decorated with live bats, floating jack-o-lanterns lit with candles, and Hagrid’s huge carved pumpkins. The professors had even spruced themselves up, some wearing fancy hats and outer robes. When Dumbledore announced that classes were canceled for the rest of the afternoon during lunch, everyone cheered. Harry took that time to tell his Slytherin Housemates that they were free to do as they pleased because their nightly study session was also canceled. Some looked more disappointed than others but Draco beamed at him, happy that his friend would finally get a chance to relax.

Severus watched his snakes with pride before gazing at the huge hourglasses filled with crystals in the Entrance Hall. Slytherin was in the lead for the first time in years. Ravenclaw was next, followed closely by Gryffindor and Hufflepuff who were currently tied. Feeling eyes on him, he turned back, his dark eyes meeting Harry’s green ones. The boy was smiling up at him and he had to strain to keep the small smile that was forming away. He nodded instead, acknowledging his happy student.

Harry left the Great Hall, his contentment contagious. He would allow the break between now and dinner to let himself relax a bit. Draco constantly teased him with the name “The-Boy-Who-Never-Stops-Studying” and it stuck, soon just about everyone knew the nickname. Honestly, it made the brunette laugh whenever someone mentioned it because it was true. He was neck-and-neck with Hermione, both students having exemplary grades, both in written and practical studies. The Slytherin and the Lion had turned their performance into an entertaining game that everyone watched in awe.

As he walked, Draco was immediately by his side as they ambled outside to enjoy the crisp, cool weather. Dry leaves crackled underfoot and Harry breathed in deeply, enjoying the fragrant air. The blond watched him, silvery gray eyes drinking in the sight of his best friend immediately relaxing.

It was a rare occasion to be alone with the brunette, so he enjoyed the time immensely. They shuffled to the edge of the Black Lake and sat, peering across the vast body of water. The waves pushed against the shore, the sound soothing to Harry’s ears. It was mesmerizing, really, and soon the green-eyed boy’s eyes were getting heavy, his body leaning slightly in Draco’s direction. The Malfoy heir jumped slightly when he felt a weight on his shoulder, but only smiled slightly when Harry’s dark, unruly hair tickled his cheek. The boy had fallen asleep, lulled by the waves, all worries leaving the boy’s face leaving it smooth and serene in his slumber.

They stayed like that for a while, Draco protectively keeping watch over his sleeping friend, and shooing away any students who sidled up to them. Harry must have needed the rest because he did not stir.

He woke up on his own as the sun began to set, casting a chillness into the air. The brunette rubbed his eyes sleepily, muffling a yawn, still leaning against the blond. After a few moments they stood and stretched, blood returning to their limbs, and walked back to the castle, talking quietly. The pathway to the school was lit with more jack-o-lanterns, casting a warm, flickering shadows against the walls and entrance.

They could see other students and professors entering the Great Hall, but didn’t rush to meet them. Their friends waited by the entrance with bright smiles and they all entered together. If it were possible, the huge room was even more decorated than it was at lunch. The enchanted ceiling rolled and echoed with a thunderstorm, the rain never falling more than five feet beneath it. The candles and floating pumpkins glowed even brighter against the dark ceiling, and the bats were even more excited. There were spiders creeping down on strands of shiny silk, their eyes glistening wetly.

Several young witches and wizards were frightened of the arachnids, Ron Weasley, Draco noted, hiding a pleased smirk behind his hand. Not surprisingly the spiders were spelled to sense fear and the few close to the students exploded and orange and black confetti went everywhere, cheering them up immediately. The blonde chuckled as confetti covered the red-head, but stopped when Harry raised an eyebrow at him. He didn’t tolerate the making fun of others, especially since he was raised with a bully.

Draco’s smirk faded immediately, and he felt his cheeks warm, ashamed. Harry assured with him a gentle pat to his arm and looked towards the Head Table, meeting Dumbledore’s infuriatingly twinkling eyes.

The boy felt a shiver run down his spine, but nodded to acknowledge the old man, before finding Severus’ eyes. From experience, Harry knew the man would not really smile back, as he had an image to uphold, but the professor’s eyes glimmered and the slight tilt of his head made Harry grin. He turned to look at his friends, and he couldn’t stop the laugh tearing out of his throat when he saw Crabbe and Goyle stuffing their faces with sweets like a couple of children. Their mouths were a multicolored, sticky mess and they did not care, making it even funnier. His laugh was infectious and soon the whole Slytherin table was brimming with snickers and chuckles.

"A bit hypocritical aren't you Harry?" the blonde spoke, muffling his giggles. He received a swat on the arm.

"In this instance, I definitely am," the brunette wheezed.

They quieted down when Dumbledore stood to make a speech about how well everyone was doing and how he noticed that the Houses seemed to get along better now than they have in a long while. He gave Harry no credit of course, but his eyes burned holes into the back of the brunette’s head as he spoke. Severus could barely contain a snort of disgust, knowing full well that the boy was responsible for that.

At the end of his speech, the tables filled with mountains of food, some dishes relating back to the season, by using pumpkin and other fall vegetables. The pumpkin juice was dyed blood red as well, making several girls wail in horror. When the main course was complete, the tables were laden with sweets. Harry’s eyes widened in surprise at the sheer amount of different types of treats, candies, gummies, cakes, pies, anything and everything was on the table before him. He did not even know where to begin, but Draco slid a slice of what seemed to be a pie in front of him. Harry eyed the confection closely, finding it’s light caramel color filling, flaky crust, and scoop of clotted cream to look delicious.

"What is this, Dray?" Harry whispered, enamored by it.

"Treacle Tart. I noticed you never were really interested in it before, so in spirit of the holiday, I want you to try it." The blonde murmured back, taking a bite of his own slice.

He did not expect the sweetness as it coated his tongue and he immediately ate another bite, and another, unable to stop eating it. Harry deemed it his new favorite sweet and pulled over another slice. As he was lifting his fork to his mouth, the Entrance Halls doors burst open and a man ran in, yelling. It caught him by surprise and the tines of the fork stabbed into his tongue. With a grimace he tossed the fork down, poking his tongue out, to try and see if it was bleeding, and thankfully he saw nor tasted blood. Harry turned to frown at the man who was so rudely interrupting their dessert and his eyes widened. The man was a very pale Professor Quirrell who looked like he had been in some sort of tousle. 

“A TROLL! THERE’S A TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!!” His panicked eyes flitted around the room and met with Dumbledore’s. “Thought you’d ought to know.”

When the man passed out and fell to the tiled floor, all hell broke loose.


	23. Troll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeehaw, i wrote this chapter super fast, oops
> 
> i was excited and also creeped out
> 
> uh...if you cant tell, i like Attack on Titan
> 
> **4/26/2018**
> 
> Editing! <3

“A _Troll?_ ” Harry hissed, grip tightening on his fork. “How’d it get in here?” Green eyes flickered across the panicked sea of faces, unsure of what he was looking for – a guilty face perhaps? The Professors had already left the Great Hall, leaving Dumbledore trying to calm the students.

The old man muttered a _Sonorus_ and his voice boomed across the room.

“Would all Prefects please direct your students back to your Common Rooms, I assure you we will take care of this, and no one will get hurt. Please stay calm and orderly, listen to your Prefects. Now go!” He moved as quickly as his old body would allow and exited the Great Hall, presumably going to take care of the creature.

Madame Pomfrey was waiting for the students to clear before she levitated Professor Quirrell off to the Hospital Wing to be looked after.

The sound of Prefects ushering their Houses up and away from the tables filled the room, some students crying and others pale with fear.

A tug on Harry’s hand brought his attention to Draco, who was attempting to hold onto the famous Malfoy emotionless expression, but the pale hand squeezing his own under the table said otherwise. The brunette rubbed his thumb soothingly across the top of the blond’s hand as they rose to follow their Prefect back...to the dungeons. Swallowing hard, they walked quickly and quietly back to their dorms, with no teachers or troll in sight.

\--

They entered the dorms first, the others huddling in the Common Room, trying to calm each other down.

 _Thank the gods,_ the young Slytherin sighed in relief when he set his bags on his bed. He supposed that the Professors already took care of the troll and had cleaned up the remainder of any fight that took place. He took off his robes and tie and folded them carefully on top of his trunk, reaching for his pajamas. Draco was doing the same, and Harry noticed that he had gotten his color back as well. Both headed for the bathroom to wash up for bed, but the brunette ran into his friend’s back, not noticing that he had stopped at the entrance to the large room.

The blonde was trembling, any color he gained back fled from his face. Harry peeked over Draco’s shoulder and froze. Puffs of wet, hot air ruffled their hair as small, beady eyes took them in. The reason that the troll was not out in the halls or being found by the professors...was because it was hiding in their bathroom! But this did not look like a normal troll, which were known for their thickness and slowness. It’s expression was vicious, baring it’s short teeth in a sinister grin at the two boys. It had been sitting behind the door for who knows how long, waiting for something, or someone, as if it had motivation to be there.

The eyes were small but filled with intelligence a normal creature should not have. It was almost _human_. Harry’s mind raced and his heart thudded in his chest. Draco was petrified with fear and could not even scream when a huge three-fingered hand grabbed him around the middle and yanked him into the room.

“ _DRACO!”_

At his scream, their friends and Housemates scrambled into the room, shouting when they saw the creature, with the Malfoy heir dangling from a meaty fist.

“Get Professor Snape, _right now!_ ” Harry cried out, diving into the bathroom and closing the door behind him so no one else could be put in danger.

At this point the Troll was now standing at least 15 feet tall, his mottled green and blue skin rippling over muscle and fat as it jerked Draco around, seeming to enjoy the boy’s cries for help. The blond was crying and struggling uselessly against the Troll’s hold around him. His arms were pinned to his sides and his kicking against the calloused skin of the huge palm did nothing. He scream was high-pitched as the Troll opened his fingers only to grab onto each of the boy’s hands, stretching his arms out to each side. Beady eyes filled with murderous intent glanced down at Harry, who met its gaze with a fearless look before it started applying pressure.

Draco’s shriek echoed around the high ceiling, chilling the brunette to the core. He could hear his friend’s bones grinding against each other as they were slowly being pulled apart.

Without a second thought, Harry began shouting any and every offensive spell, jinx, and hex he could think of to distract the beast. Nothing seemed to affect the lumbering thing, as it still continued to torture his friend. His brain worked furiously to create a plan to save Draco and he gritted his teeth when he heard one of the boy’s shoulders dislocating and the painful wail that accompanied it.

Gripping his wand tight, he advanced on the Troll slowly, knowing he was being watched the entire time.

“It’s me that you truly want, isn’t it?” Harry hissed, “Take me instead and leave my friend alone, you filthy creature!”

The troll turned to face him, his smirk becoming an insane grin and the voice that left its mouth made Harry’s skin crawl. He did not know that Trolls even had the knowledge for fluent speech.

“I thought you’d never ask...Harry Potter,” As soon as the words left its mouth it dropped Draco, who would have landed with a sickening crunch if Harry’s quick _Wingardium Leviosa_ had not reached him. Once the blonde’s unconscious body was safe and out of the way, the green-eyed boy met the Troll’s murderous stare.

“Fight me then. Defeat me fair and square and you can eat me whole.” Harry growled, seriously hoping Severus would enter and be the hero.

“That...shouldn’t be much of a challenge,” with a roar, the beast swung his arm, trying to catch Harry and slam him into the wall.

The boy ducked and ran away easily, having much experience in running away from a fat bully his whole life. He knew that unless he was caught by surprise that there was no way the Troll was going to even touch him. Harry danced around the bathroom, avoiding the lumbering beast, taunting it over and over just to make it more angry. He occasionally fired random spells, just to infuriate it more, though nothing really penetrated the Troll’s thick hide.

He had been reading up on high level spell casting in every book he could get his hands on but none seemed suitable for the situation Harry found himself stuck in. A light bulb went off in his mind. He had not even thought to use curses against this monster. There were several he knew of but had not had the chance to practice, and what better time to test out his knowledge than on a huge beast that was actively trying to tear him limb from limb? Harry backed up and avoided another swipe and fired off the first curse that came to mind.

“ _EXPULSO!”_ His shout reverberated around the room and the resulting explosion nearly deafened and blinded him.

But the noise of the curse was immediately drowned out by the pained wailing of the Troll who was precariously teetering on one foot. It’s other leg was... _gone?_ Dark, sludgy blood, bits of hide, and pieces of bone were splattered against the far wall, leaving the ripped stump oozing the viscous fluid onto the floor below.

“It’s hurts….it hurts!” The troll cried, it’s big face contorted in agony.

Without a hint of remorse the small Slytherin repeated the curse and blasted the other leg out from under the beast. It came toppling down to the ground, landing on it’s back. The creature could not even move it’s burly arms to swat Harry away as the boy clambered up onto his heaving chest, wand pointed directly at the brute’s face.

His face was pale, but his green eyes glittered with hatred. Harry wanted to destroy this foul thing that hurt his best friend by exploding its stupid head right off. The Troll was looking up at him, fat tears pouring down its cheeks, knowing it was about to die. Fury roiled under Harry’s skin, and he gripped his wand tighter, focusing his magic into it, vision narrowing with each beat of his heart. He did not notice when another person entered the room, or when the huge body beneath his feet was petrified.

Warm arms grabbed him around the middle and carried him down to the floor, embracing him tightly.

“Harry...Harry!” the voice was as soft as a whisper but then again Harry’s mind felt miles away. He slowly returned when he felt someone shaking his shoulder.

“Potter! Wake up!” He immediately recognized the voice of Severus and he shook his head to clear his foggy brain. His skin felt slimy and Harry looked at his hands that were covered in Troll blood. His stomach twisted into knots and he pushed away from the professor to empty his belly. He vomited until there was nothing left except bile and only then did he stand on wobbly legs and attempt to clean himself up.

Professor Snape was on his knees in the dust and blood that coated the bathroom, his face reflecting fear and worry. Harry’s eyes flickered across the room and zeroed in on blonde hair. His feet took him stumbling over rubble to his friend who wasn’t moving. Harry scooped Draco into his arms and held him as best as he could, calling his name gently. The brunette cried out when the body in his arms was transferred into Severus’.

“He will live, Potter. You saved his life. Now come with me to the Hospital Wing.”


	24. Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> efw4gvapisjkxmavkx im back 
> 
> god, im sorry it took so long =_____=;;;;
> 
> thank you all for your constant support!!!!

The Malfoy heir regained consciousness in the Hospital Wing, lit by flickering torches. The moon was rising, casting the room in a silvery glow. He groaned and tried to sit up, but found that he could not do so very well. Both of his arms were in slings and hands pushed him back into the pillows. Blinking slowly, the face of his best friend appeared, pale and panic stricken. His godfather Severus loomed behind the small wizard, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

“What...what happened?” The blonde murmured, his throat unreasonably dry. Harry put the edge of a cup to his lips instantly and he drank slowly. The water was cold and crisp, and Draco sighed in relief.

“There was a Troll in the dungeon, Mr. Malfoy. It attacked you and if Potter had not been there, you would have been killed.” The Potion’s Master looked unsettled as he gazed at the two First Years. “It has been taken care of, now all you have to do is get better. You both have been excused from classes for the next two days to recover.”

Harry’s fingers were fidgeting in his lap, picking at the hem of his sleeves. The experience with the Troll frightened him greatly. It had been very dangerous and reckless of him to go after it in the first place. One wrong move and they both would have been torn apart. The overwhelming hate he felt the instant Draco was hurt was something he would never forget. It made him feel sick to his stomach, and even though he washed up, he still felt covered in slimy Troll blood. Blowing the creature’s legs off felt so _satisfying_ and Harry knew he would have delighted in exploding its head as well. He had never felt such blood lust in his life until that moment, just the thought made his skin crawl.

His intrusive thoughts were interrupted by Professor Snape shoving a goblet of pumpkin juice into his hands. Blessedly it was the normal color instead of blood red. The man poured Harry’s nightly dose of pain relief and headache preventing potion into it. He also gave Draco a goblet who nodded gratefully. Harry gazed into his cup, mesmerized by the swirling liquid.

“Drink.”

The cool liquid went down his parched throat and Harry sighed at the feeling. After making sure the boys drank their potions, Severus left them to be tended to by Madame Pomfrey. She tried to get Harry into his own bed, but he refused to leave his friend’s side. He slept in the chair that night with his head resting on his arms, covered by a blanket. Draco watched him fondly, wishing he could run his hands through the brunette’s wild hair. Eventually his eyes became heavy and the blonde let himself return to unconsciousness.

Both of the boys’ dreams were plagued by the malicious Troll. In the dream he felt his shoulders being pulled apart and screamed, startling himself awake, panting and shaking. Grey eyes searched the room in a panic, searching for the enemy. Small whimpers that slipped from Harry’s clenched teeth drew Draco’s attention and his heart clenched when he saw the boy crying. He knew that this incident would not leave them at peace and rested back into the pillows. Draco returned to slumber listening to his best friend cry as he relived the attack in the depths of his mind.

-

They woke to the smell of breakfast that was placed on the bedside table. Most of the foods were soft, like oatmeal, applesauce, and yogurt. Harry fed Draco slowly and the blonde felt both comforted and embarrassed about needing help to eat. The brunette ate after his friend was finished, but stopped immediately when his stomach began to churn restlessly. Thankfully he was able to swallow another potion-laden pumpkin juice without much of a problem. His belly calmed down and he sighed in relief, not wanting to leave Draco in favor of vomiting up his meager breakfast.

“How’re you doing, Harry? You look unwell.” Draco’s soft voice in the silence of the Hospital Wing startled him.

“Ah...I’m...I’m okay. Are you in any pain?” His voice was equally quiet. He felt so guilty about what happened and that he was not able to do anything to protect Draco during the attack. His stomach clenched and he curved his arms around his middle, before resting his head on the edge of the bed.

“No pain, just stiff. The Madame said I have one more day in the slings, that’s probably why Severus gave us two days off. I’m sorry I couldn’t defend myself against the beast, Harry. I can tell by the look in your eyes that you’re torn up with guilt about it. You _saved_ me, though. You risked your own life to save me even though the odds were not in our favor. Thank you, I am in your debt.” Draco’s slight smile lifted Harry’s mood enough to return a smile of his own.

The boys jumped when the doors to the Hospital Wing suddenly opened, revealing their friends who ran towards them. Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, Hermione, Neville, and Ron skidded to a stop by the blonde’s bed. They all began clamoring at once, asking how they were and about what happened and when they would be released.

“Harry saved my life by stopping the Troll that was hiding in the Slytherin lavatory. End of story, now please stop talking so much.” Draco spoke sternly with a frown, silencing the group. He rolled his eyes and cracked a small smile. “You dunces, I didn’t say you had to be quiet,”

The lions and snakes snickered and let one person talk at a time so they wouldn’t overwhelm the boys.

“We brought your bags, since we all know you still have to stay here for another day. I thought you’d like to work on some assignments so you don’t fall behind.” Hermione murmured, her voice and smile were gentle.

Harry accepted their things with a nod, his own lips quirking into a tired smile. “Thanks, ‘Mione, you know me too well.”

Before he could speak again, Ron pushed his way to the front and dropped a decent sized parcel on his lap before retreating to the back. Harry opened the package with deft fingers and laughed lightly. It was filled with assorted sweets. Green eyes met blue and the brunette smiled widely. He knew communication between them was tense because of Ron’s issue with the Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry, but he was touched at how much the red-head seemed to care.

Madame Pomfrey chose that time to exit her office and shoo her patients’ classmates to class. They all left chorusing “goodbye” and “get well soon”.

The rest of their day was spent working on assignments for the classes they missed and for the following day’s classes. Harry spelled Draco’s quill to write everything the blonde said, so he wouldn’t have to do double the work by writing for both of them.

Lunch and dinner came and went, their friends visiting after each meal, only to be shooed away every time.

They were getting settled for bed when Headmaster Dumbledore entered the Hospital Wing. The old wizard eyed the two carefully as he approached, and the boys smiled at him.

“Hello Headmaster,” Harry greeted, closing the thick book that he was reading.

“Hello, Mr. Potter. I am sorry about the delay in coming to check on your well-being. The aftermath of the Troll incident has kept me particularly busy. Your performance was very courageous. Thank you for saving Mr. Malfoy’s life even in the face of your own death. Fifty points to Slytherin for loyalty to your Housemate.” Albus crooned, blue eyes twinkling with something more than fondness. His intentions were to try to get Harry under his control while he was still young, all the better to use him later.

“Thank you. Sir, Trolls are not normally aggressive or malicious like the one I fought. It looked at us like it was going to eat us! Was it under a spell? The _Imperius_ perhaps? It was at if someone’s who has something against us was projecting their intentions through it.” Harry stopped when the Headmaster raised his hand.

“It does appear that the Troll was under the control of someone, and the _Imperi_ _u_ _s_ was one of several spells found to be used on the Troll’s mind. But while we know the spells, we do not know the caster.”

The old man’s tone conveyed his ‘worry’.

The boys were in shock. _The witch or wizard behind the attack hasn’t been found?! What if they come for us again?_ Harry’s stomach began to roil with anxiety.

Dumbledore continued. “I have added extra security to the wards around Hogwarts that will resist any magical creature other than pets inside the castle. I encourage you both to stay aware of your surroundings at all time until the culprit is found.

“Headmaster...the range of the curse between the caster and the victim enhances or weakens it. That creature was under complete control. The person responsible is somewhere inside the castle or on the grounds.” Harry’s voice inflected his growing anger and concern. Dumbledore was one of the most powerful wizards in history and he could not find the culprit. Anxiety clutched at his chest. _Something is wrong here…_

“Mr. Potter, I guarantee that you and Mr. Malfoy will be safe and the attacker will be caught. Please stay aware but try not to worry. We are doing everything we can to protect you.” The old wizard smiled, trying to placate the small brunette.

“If you’re doing everything, what are you doing here talking to us? Please catch them. Neither one of us want to constantly be panicked. It will affect our academic performance.” Draco spoke clearly, drawing Harry’s gaze. The blond’s cold eyes were trained on Dumbledore’s. “You say you want to protect us but any time you spend doing something other than hunting them down serves no purpose. They could be planning another attack right now but you’re in here trying to make small talk.”

Dumbledore nodded sagely. The blond was right, he supposed. “On that note, I will take my leave and continue the investigation. I am glad to see that you’re recovering. Good evening, gentlemen.”

“Goodnight Headmaster,” Harry murmured as the man left the room, the door swinging shut behind him.

-

Once the door to the Hospital Wing swung shut, the old wizard nearly ran into Professor Quirrell in the corridor. The turbaned man’s dark eyes glittered in the flickering light of the torches. They walked together through the dimness of the night before entering Dumbledore’s office where they could speak freely.

“He suspects something.” The professor whispered, his fists clenching. “Those brats are too smart for their own good.”

“Now now, Quirinus, do not get angry. After all, we are only testing them, are we not? We need to confirm just what Potter can do when faced with danger. Hidden power makes itself known under stress. The Troll incident proved that he is powerful and can adapt to dangerous situations. He requires more investigating, though.” Albus nodded, more to himself than to the other man.

“But I failed you, Headmaster. I did not get him to uncover his potential. Potter used some high level spells but nothing that’s out of the ordinary. I am uncertain as to what you see in him, sir.” the DADA professor murmured. As far as he was concerned the boy was not special, but if Albus had his suspicions, then he would go along with it. After all, the Headmaster chose him for this task, and who was Quirrell to disappoint.

The sinister chuckle that escaped Albus’ lips made the professor shiver in anticipation. He knew the old coot was already planning out the second ‘test’ for the Potter boy. After a few moments of contemplative silence, the wizard spoke.

“It’s time to put the Mirror to good use.”


	25. Release

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> iM BACK for the moment!!! <3 thank you all, as always, for supporting my fic!!! <3<3<3

The next day was almost identical to the one before. Draco and Harry did not leave the Hospital Wing, in favor of staying in to study in the calm quietness. The sounds of turning pages, occasional mutterings, and the scratches of their quills against the parchment quickly became Harry’s favorite sounds. It was rare for the pair to get any peace from their Housemates who constantly wanted to be around them, especially Harry when he held study sessions after dinner.

The blond watched his friend’s face scrunch up adorably in thought, puzzling over information in one of his Potions’ books. After the Troll attack, Draco knew they would never be the same. Even now, he could feel the wards surrounding the Hospital Wing, but their presence did not ease his sense of worry.

Hogwarts was surrounded by wards as well, layer after layer of thick, sensitive magic that was supposed to keep all the dangerous things _out_ of the castle. A Troll could not have possibly entered without the help of someone from within. It was highly suspicious and it only made the Malfoy heir more nervous. Hopefully this was a fluke, a cruel joke, perhaps, done by a malicious or jealous student. With a sigh, gray eyes glanced down at his own Charms’ textbook and wished he could pinch the bridge of his nose in aggravation.

–

Lunch and dinner came and went, along with their friends who brought more assignments and notes for them to review, since they would be returning to class the next day. Madame Pomfrey allowed the group to stay longer than the day before, knowing the boys would appreciate their company.

Before they knew it, curfew was just minutes away. The Gryffindors and Slytherins left in a rush, laughing as they ran towards the door, yelling quick “goodbyes”. As much as they liked the quiet, Draco and Harry did miss their rowdy companions. The boys would be back with them the following day and it made them both smile.

Once they were finished with their studies, Harry put away their things and crawled into the bed next to Draco’s, sliding his wand underneath the pillow. Waking up with a crick in his neck and a backache made him change his mind about sleeping in a chair again. The bed was much more comfortable anyways. A goblet appeared on his nightstand and he quickly drank it, feeling the headache preventative settling, and dulling the small throb at his temple that he had been ignoring. He was excited about returning to classes and his friends in the morning. Harry was asleep before his head hit the pillow, and his dreams were blissfully calm.

–

The brunette was awake before the sun had the chance to fully rise, and changed into his uniform. Draco woke shortly after, eagerly awaiting Madame Pomfrey to remove the slings and give him a final check up. As the cloth was stripped away by her gentle hands, the blond rotated his shoulders carefully, under her observant eyes.

She smiled at the full degree of movement, pleased by his recovery.

“Alright, boys. I deem you both fit to be dismissed from your stay here. Please do not hesitate to return if you have any pains.” Poppy beamed and ruffled their hair. Their “thank you’s” followed her back to her office.

Once Draco freshened up and put on his uniform, Harry hugged him as tight as he thought the boy could handle it. The blond returned the embrace, happy to have use of his arms again.

“I promise that I’ll protect you.” the brunette whispered into his neck, giving Draco another squeeze before releasing him. “I’ll destroy any thing or any one that even _thinks_ about hurting you.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Harry. You and the professors took care of the Troll. I...We’ll be fine. Hogwarts is the safest place in all of Wizarding Britain.” Gray eyes peered into green ones. His expression was stern, hoping to resolve some of Harry’s worry. When the other boy did not smile or accept it, Draco continued.

“We have to leave it up to the professors, they are paid to protect us. It is their job. If we discover something we need to take it to them, to Severus at least. We’re just First Years, Harry!” He stopped speaking to regain his breath, his eyes never leaving his friend’s.

The brunette bit his lip and nodded begrudgingly. “Of course, Dray.”

Yes he would report to those with more authority than him, but that would not stop him from continuing to learn, practice, and teach Magic. In doing so Harry would be able to protect them both without the need of any adults. _After all, I grew up taking care of and defending myself, so why not continue doing so? Most of the kids here were raised in magical families and did not have to worry about being bullied or beaten every day of their lives._

He retained a bitter sigh and tried to shrug off the anxiety that pressed down on his shoulders. Draco watched Harry’s emotions flicker across his face before settling on the soft smile he always wore when they were going to be with others. After scanning the area for any belongings they forgot to put back into their bags, the boys left their extended stay in the Hospital Wing.

It was early enough that when they entered the Great Hall for breakfast, it was mostly empty save for them and a few older students who wanted to eat before studying. The several Slytherins that were already seated waved and smiled at them, welcoming them back. They settled down at the table and took their goblets, one with a final, light dose of a healing potion and a headache preventative in the other.

Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle chose that moment to enter, immediately spying and running towards the young Malfoy and Potter. Luckily the boys had finished their drinks seconds before as Pansy threw herself upon them both in a tight hug.

Harry’s eyes turned towards the ceiling, begging whatever being that watched over them to help him. Draco pushed her off of them both, brushing off his robes.

“Yes Pans, we missed you too. Please be careful, though, I do not want to re-injure my shoulders.”

The girl seemed to wilt under his scrutiny, but perked up when Harry touched her arm lightly. \

“Don’t let him fool you, he is completely healed,” his sly words were paired with a wink and she practically melted against him.

It was not like Harry disliked Pansy. She was very intelligent, beautiful, and charming, already understanding the politics of pure bloods and its effect on where she stood in the Wizarding World. The only issue he had with her was her simpering, clingy behavior, which, from everything he knew about her, was probably an act. She _loved_ making other girls suffer, _especially_ since she had the two cutest boys at Hogwarts in her House. Pansy lavished in the snarky attention from the jealous witches and wizards, but she was fully capable of handling her own in any dispute. Hell, even when it was just the three of them together, Harry could tell a difference in her facade. She went from sassy to sly in a matter of seconds.

He wondered idly who else was putting up a front and their intention behind it.

–

Severus Snape tried to keep his distance from the boys after the Troll attack. Under his own emotionless face he was absolutely seething. His godson and if he was correct, his own _son_ were put into immense danger by some insane git. Truth be told he had his suspicions. Ever since Lily was murdered by the Aurors, he had a feeling that Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix was involved. Somehow the old man was always up to something that got in the way of his Dark Lord. Her death had Dumbledore written all over it, though the Potions’ Professor did not have evidence.

Just thinking about how close his precious sons had come to death made his stomach knot in anger and worry. Severus was sure that the boys were hugely popular among all of the Houses, especially Harry. He heard whispers and echoes in the halls about how much they were adored and fawned over. No student could have let in a twelve foot mountain troll, controlled it through an Unforgivable Curse, and not be detected.

He ground the heel of one hand grind into his forehead in exasperation. If the perpetrator was not discovered, and soon, he knew his boys would be at risk again. Albus did not even bother bringing in the Ministry, and for that Severus was thankful. When he cornered the Headmaster in his bright, cluttered, claustrophobic office the old wizard did not seem to worry. He had insisted that he doubled the strength of the wards and had all professors and staff alternating perimeter walks and monitoring the halls all night.

All that ‘effort’ did nothing to put the man at ease. He watched Dumbledore from the corner of his eye at meals, and when he was not eating he concentrated on talking quietly with Professor Quirrell. Even before he was officially hired on as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Severus detested him. Yes, the man was incredibly sufficient both in ability and intellect, but there was an underlying weirdness about the frail man that put the Potions’ Master on edge. He would have to discretely investigate further into his history and what, if anything, the turbaned man was up to.

Severus entered the Great Hall and his dark eyes were immediately drawn to the blonde and brunette that had finally returned to the Slytherin table. He breathed an automatic sigh of relief, seeing them chat amicably with their Housemates.

For now they were all right, and that is all that mattered.


	26. The Mirror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'M BAcKKKKK after like two months AJFGOSBDLM
> 
> holy shit it took me a lONG TIME IM SO SORRY AGJDKNSZMCGL
> 
> i hope y'all enjoy this (shortish) chapter!! i cried while writing this tbh 
> 
> thank you so much for supporting meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
> 
> i love you all <3<3<3

Tom Marvolo Riddle sat behind his huge mahogany desk, pinching the bridge of his nose in aggravation. Tall stacks of books and parchment, some blank and others filled with his fluid script surrounded him. It took about five years to fully garner the trust of the Vampyre covens and Werewolf packs across Europe. Most of the younglings were easy enough to sway to his side, but it took many, many negotiations and promises of freedom that finally eased the Masters and Pack Leaders into trusting him. He had followers in the Ministry and other foreign establishments still vying for full rights for them as well.

Something still troubled the Dark Lord, though. A constant, niggling feeling taken residence in his chest ever since Lily was murdered by the Light. He felt no such thing as fear or worry, but could not place the cause of it. More often than not, he pushed the feeling into the depths of his mind.

With a sigh his hand dropped from his face to rest on his lap, fingertips running across the soft material of his trousers. After he sealed the deal with the magical creatures, he immediately delved into his next project with furious determination. When he was a Hogwarts’ student, he discovered something in the Restricted Section of the library that greatly caught his interest. At the time, he had been curious about immortality and ways to achieve it. There were not many books on the subject anywhere in Hogwarts’ Library, and he had pushed it on the back-burner while he began gaining loyal followers.

Now that he had plenty of people that would handle any distractions for him, he had the time to bring his quest for immortality back to the forefront of his mind. The one item that he knew of that could help ensure a very long life was the Philosopher’s Stone, created by Nicholas Flamel. Tom had seen the man once, and he was alive well past his intended lifespan. He knew, just by the magic that surrounded him, that the infamous old man was going to let himself rest, forever. If the Stone did possess the power of immortality, the man should have stopped aging completely after he used it. But Flamel was old, wrinkled, and content to leave this realm. The rock was useless as an option, if Tom was going to age very slowly over time and hundreds of years later only to die...No, that is not what he wanted at all.

Upon his searching in both inside and out of Europe, a method was whispered. It was only a myth, really, but it was an incredibly Dark spell and no one had ever succeeded in using it without blowing themselves to smithereens or driving themselves stark raving mad.

Crimson eyes glimmered in the light of the lamp that sat on his desk. The exasperation that had wrinkled his features melted away in favor of a satisfied smirk. To ensure the safety of himself and his everlasting life, he would undoubtedly use all of his power. His heart skipped a beat as he brought his fresh stack of notes closer, re-reading them.

_Yes...this is what I have been looking for. Now, to find seven objects of worth._

-

November passed without incident at Hogwarts. With intermittent snow storms, Harry was able to go out and play in the snow, having been unable to at the Dursley’s. Every afternoon between classes and dinner, the brunette dragged his Slytherin Housemates outside, despite their playful protests. Harry won every snowball fight and was deemed to have the prettiest snow angel. Draco’s heart warmed whenever he saw his best friend’s flushed face, glowing bright with a laugh or smile. He yearned for Harry to be happy like this forever.

When they were not outside playing, the group was studying under Harry’s supervision for the finals that were to be held in December, before the Christmas holidays.

Harry had already gotten his blonde friend a gift, as well as everyone else in their small friend group. His ears burned a little in embarrassment that he was going to be giving everyone the same gift, but personalized to their own tastes, and he hoped they liked it. Eight journal style planners were tucked away in his trunk, each wrapped in brown paper, with a card paired with each. It was his hope that his friends would utilize them to help structure their studies, mostly. But it was also a journal with a never ending page count, were smudge-proof, water-proof, tear-proof pages, and also unreadable by anyone except the owner, unless they wished it.

He had spent many hours perfecting each journal, and was pleased at his efforts. Even Professor Snape helped him with some of his spell work, little did he know, Harry made him one as well.

The brunette was also eager to find out what was causing his debilitating headaches. Soon the potion would be finished and Harry would know what was wrong with him, and his Professor promised to help him fix it. Every time he thought about it, his heart skipped a beat. Once the problem was solved, he’d just be a normal boy who did not have to be afraid of people touching him, in fear they would trigger a headache.

He smiled happily as he took notes from his Transfiguration book, watching his friends scribbling along around him. Truly, he had never felt more at home than at Hogwarts, and he was terrified of leaving its safety and returning to the Dursley’s for any length of time. 

– 

Both Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Quirrell kept the young Potter in their sights as much as they could after the failed Troll incident. The timid man had been punished with the Crutacious in the privacy of Dumbledore’s office. The old wizard wanted Quirrell to continue testing the boy until he was sure about his power and true nature.

They obsessed over him and his potential ties to the Dark Lord.

The boy appeared to be pure of heart, loyal to his friends, and completely dedicated to his studies, so much in fact, that the Slytherins were not the only one feeling the effects of his passion. The whole School seemed to buzz when Potter entered a room, everyone acknowledged and respected him for his intellect, and how caring the smaller than average boy was. Professors were surprised when their average and below students’ grades were slowly improving after study sessions with the brunette. Overall he was doing Hogwarts a great service. Higher academic scores meant that students would be able to find jobs more easily once they graduated.

If they did not know that the boy could have be directly related to Voldemort, they would be showering him in the utmost affection, for all of the good work he was doing. But Tom Riddle was charming and very intelligent as a student, and like Potter, everyone loved him. He was able to twist that into power, gaining followers left and right to his cause, his plans going unnoticed.

Dumbledore proceeded to his next scheme, which was to leave whispers, dreams, and textual clues for the inquisitive boy to follow, leading him eventually to the Mirror of Erised.

It was the beginning of December when the Headmaster watched Harry enter the stone chamber that housed the Mirror. He cautiously approached the tall glass structure that was dirty with age, and gently touched it with his fingertips. Images floated behind the glass, and formed into that of his mother, who he barely remembered.

Pain began to build up in his temple and his heart began to thud.

“M...mummy?” his voice was small, his green eyes wide and full of tears, against the pain of the oncoming headache and the clenching of his heartstrings.

The fiery haired woman was beautiful, her own green eyes sparkled. Her fingers touched the Mirror where his own rested and a spark of warmth shot through him. Harry knew she was dead, and guessed the Mirror was used to show one’s deepest desire. She looked to her right as another form attempted to shape itself next to her. Unfortunately it remained a black, human shaped void. _That must be...my Da…_

His chest heaved with his short breaths and the headache became increasingly worse, but he could not bear to look away from his mother. Tears spilled down his cheeks and he fell to his knees in front of the mirror, still touching and Lily went down with him, a worried look on her face.

“You’re dead. Mum, you’re _dead.”_ Harry weeped, his head pounding. He was starting to see stars in his vision. The man’s feet next to her slowly blurred into vision. Black shoes took shape that led up to the cuffs of his black trousers.

“ _Harry...”_ Lily’s voice was soft, like the breeze on a spring morning. “ _I love you, my son.”_

Harry’s heart clenched and his head exploded in agony. His mum reaching out to him was the last thing he saw as he fell unconscious, straight into the nightmare where all he could hear was his mother screaming.

–

Albus had been watching the exchange with a frown. More often than not, the Mirror of Erised showed visions that drove the person looking into it insane over time. But this...this was strange. He felt the presence of another magical being in the room, though he could not see what the boy saw in the Mirror. Obviously an image of Lily was staring back at him, but it appeared that she was not just a simple vision. The connection between herself and her son ran deep enough to bring a weak wisp of her spirit into Hogwarts, into Potter’s presence.

The old wizard clucked his tongue when the boy abruptly passed out. _Good. The memory charms are still in effect._ The boy mentioned nothing of seeing his father in the Mirror, much to Dumbledore’s displeasure. It meant that the spells were working but he wanted to find out later who his father really was.

The boy was writhing in pain on the rough stone floor, whimpering as a result of some dream or another. The Headmaster crouched beside his small body and placed the tip of his wand against Potter’s temple. With unspoken words he passed knowledge into the boy’s mind, that would send him on quite the adventure when he woke. Albus was riding on the fact that the boy would be desperate to find a way to restore his mother to the living plane.

The Philosopher’s Stone, hidden away behind many traps would be his savior. The old man had everything planned out. The boy would drag his friends along and hopefully they would all be destroyed in the process. A smile bloomed across his wrinkled face as he levitated the boy and proceeded to take him to the Hospital Wing. After settling him into bed with pain relievers, he brushed a lock of dark hair out of Harry’s closed eyes.

“Yes, I think this will come together quite nicely, don’t you, my boy?” with a dark chuckle the Headmaster returned to his chambers, leaving the boy at peace.


	27. HEWWO - this is not a chapter, just a life update and some good news!!!!!

Hello all, I am SOSOSOSOOSOSOSOSOSOO sorry it's taken me so long to get my shit together and come back to this fic. 

So there won't be any new chapters as of yet, but i AM going through and editing each chapter from the beginning ((finallllllyyy)) and fixing the many holes i created in my hurry to write. i definitely encourage another read through once i reach the latest chapter for editing >w>;;;; im changing and adding in some things <3

a lot of things have been happening in my life, i decided to return back to uni for another degree in a subject entirely different from my previous degree, and i have changed jobs within my same workplace to a more complicated one. 

i love you all and thank you SO MUCH <3 <3


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